Just In Case
by Shiggity Shwa
Summary: Spinoff from 'Another', What if when Leo said Just incase, he was right. And flight 815 crashed on the island with Kate and her 5 month old child.Totally Kate centric with a lil' bit of Ethan thrown in JK
1. Victory

_Guys I finally finished my first chapter to my brand-spanking new story! I'm so excited but I'm worried because I don't think anyone will like it as much (is nervous). But there is a view guidelines  
1) The baby is Kate's and LEO'S okay, **LEO'S!**_ _Alright, I had to clear that up because I knew I was going to get people asking me on that one._  
_2) Next chapter will be the start of the flashbacks (because I know how y'all love 'em soooo much!)  
3) Each chapter is an episode of Lost ripped apart and glued back together MY WAY! (with Locke's homemade glue (if I can ever stop getting high off it…) So they're rather long.  
4) ETHAN'S IN IT!  
Ethan: SA-WHEAT!  
And he's evil! _

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these people, not even Ethan (breaks down and sobs uncontrollably) But the ones I made up are mine, like the baby, and the flashback people. And I happen to know a few people who would LIKE me to own the Lost characters, hee hee hee **

Just Incase 

Chapter 1

Victory

Hell. He always had mixed views about the place, not really considering it was genuine, but still believing enough that he could fear it. He had never been raised Catholic, he had never gone to church once, prayed before a meal nor even prayed before sleeping. And he was regretting that tenfold now.

If there really was a hell, if it had not been some horrific faux place, exaggerated to scare little children into being well behaved angels, this was it. Pieces of metal lay scorched on the beach, flames engulfing almost everything. People lay shocked, injured, and even dead in the sand.

Jack had saved as many as he could, bandaged wounds until there was no more clothe to soak the exuding blood up with. He'd given CPR until he was short of breath himself, constantly ignoring the stabbing, stinging pain that ripped at his side whenever he moved.

Finally there was no more to do, nothing else to do but get out of there, he couldn't handle it. The smoke was cutting off his breath, the people who were screaming in fright, in pain, being consumed by death. He simply went over the line, he wasn't afraid of the situation, he'd had years of practice as a doctor, but that didn't mean the factors couldn't get to him. He needed a moment to breathe.

That's where he was now, he'd walked through the thick foliage of the jungle, the leaves and vines entwining together like some synthetic web, trapping him on this island forever. When he had gotten untangled, he found himself on a somewhat secluded beach. No one was on it, but the cries for help could just be heard over the crashing waves.

He reached to loosen his tie, but then realized he'd used it as a tourniquet on a man, who was hopelessly pinned under the overpowering weight of one of the planes monstrous, mechanical wheels. It had taken four of them to get him out from beneath.

Was that before, or after the man got consumed by the engine that had a determined nature about it, as the last power jolted through it, it'd power up suck in mere pieces of paper and luggage that had ventured to close, then it sucked up a man and exploded.

Jack shook his head has he took off his suit jacket; he had to get his mind off of the poor soul who was shredded by the fan. He unbuttoned his dress shirt painfully, the dried blood plastering his shirt to his body. He thought about the pregnant girl, hoped her baby was okay, a plane crash definitely couldn't have done any good.

He threw his dress shirt over the tree, on top of his suit jacket that he was supposed to wear to his father's funeral, things had taken a drastic change and suddenly the eulogy was the least of his worries. What if no one came to rescue them? What if they were on some uninhabited island, undiscovered by the rest of humanity? How would they survive? Would he have to deliver that girl's baby? The last thing that was needed was a baby on the island.

He lifted the eccentric pure white shirt over his head; enthralled by how much blood had already permeated it. He placed it on the outstretched, butler like branch and marveled at the cut he'd received from the bamboo he'd awaken in. It lay seeping slowly; at that perfect angle so stitching it would be just out of his reach.

Perhaps another doctor was on the plane, even an obstetrician, who could deliver the baby. Jack shook his head, clearing it of the childish hope, reality sunk in, how many doctors were flying from Sydney to LA on the same flight?

About to release a sigh of grief he was halted by an obscure sound coming from close by in the jungle. He'd heard it before, many times, but not for almost five years now.

Quickly regaining himself, he began to scale the outline of the brush, listening as the noise got louder; he stopped as it seemed to be right in front of him. Silently he wished it wasn't what he expected.

The noise suddenly stopped and Jack paused from moving through the bushes. For a moment there was only the spectral serene silence of the trees looming over him. In a heart beat the noise had started up again, louder this time, and Jack pushed himself into it as he ran through the weeds, and creepers.

He came to a slamming halt at a tree, the monumental size of it indicated that it had been rooted in that very spot long before Jack was even an idea. He paced over cautiously, the tall grass rustling as he stepped with inexperienced footing through it. He placed his hand on the ridged bark that curled up. That's when he saw the noisemaker.

About two feet above Jack's head, where the trunk of the tree split in several directions, branches growing every which way. Some reaching out far further then any others, skimming the leaves of the other trees, when the wind blew they would knock leaves harmlessly off eat other, like monkeys grooming each other for mites.

In the support of the sprouting branches sat an infant airplane seat, the bottom fitting perfectly on the stump like a missing piece to the puzzle. Still in the seat was a screaming baby, no older then six-months.

The 'Y' shaped strap still wrapped around securing the baby, it was still buckled in. Jack immediately fumbled to disconnect the safety belt, the baby continued to cry, shaking tiny-balled fists, as it turned red faced.

He lifted the strap around the baby's head and delicately lifted the infant out of the seat. The green colored pajamas it was wearing were stained a dark gray color from the smoke shrouding the island, but the little yellow ducks were still clearly visible.

Jack did a swift but thorough investigation for injuries of the tiny human, and was for once relieved to find that besides a few miniscule scratches, there was no devastating damage.

It still bawled, but that was understandable, here it was only a few months old, and it was crying probably from separation from its mother so quickly, while others were crying on the beach because of the terror of the situation.

Jack leaned the baby against his chest, and placed a hand on its back to comfort, "Its okay," he whispered. Suddenly the baby stopped crying for a short minute, a single tear rolled from each eye down the slightly chubby, freckle stippled cheeks. Its glorious gray-green eyes held so much sorrow for someone so young.

"Where's your mom?" Jack asked softly, knowing that he and the baby were wondering the same thing. Had she even survived the crash? If she hadn't this baby wouldn't make it long, it was probably nursing still. So unless they found the diaper bag, or the mother, this baby would've been better off a casualty of the crash.

* * *

She was lost. Lost in the jungle with overpowering, superior flora. Trees as lofty as skyscrapers, creepy crawly vines and roots braiding across the ground making it difficult to keep a steady step. A select few would be capable of keeping their cool in this situation; those who practiced arborolatry and Tarzan were at the top of the list. Kate on the other hand was just above those who suffered from dendrophobia. 

She paused for a moment, her hair tangled about her face, her clothes filthy and ripped. Her right hand held her left wrist gently; she had pulled so hard on the handcuffs to get free of them before the plane crashed that they'd left a bruise on her wrist, it hurt to move.

She had struggled to get free violently, the man beside her, the one who posed as a friend, then betrayed her had been knocked unconscious. Beside her, her baby, her daughter sat strapped in the airplane chair, screaming as the plane went down.

Kate had managed to get free on time; she placed the oxygen mask around her screeching daughter, and then one around the man who had deceived her and finally around herself.

The back of the plane had been brutally torn off while in mid air, the squealing of the metal being ripped apart was still fresh in her mind, she doubted it would be a sound soon forgotten.

She was torn from the plane, landing on another part of the island from what she could tell, no one was around her. She's been callously hurled at the trunk of a large tree, knocking her out cold for some time.

A few moments ago, she heard the crying of a baby, she knew it was her daughter, she knew the sound of her own daughter's crying even as it echoed through the empty, and tree crowded jungle. Kate hadn't been separated from her for the last fourteen months, she knew her daughter.

Now she had come to a clearing, the dirt barely covering the flora's hefty roots. She stepped across them and noticed a certain tree; it was approximately forty feet tall by her experience. But that's not what called her to it, on one of the highest branches of the tree hung a bright yellow tote bag, almost like a flag wavering in the wind. That was Kate's baby bag; she'd definitely need it later.

She scanned the area, making a mental note of where she stood, where the tree roots made natural steps in the ground. She sighed morosely she didn't know which way the crying had come from.

Tears gathered in her eyes, but disappeared as the whimpering erupted again. She literally flew through the trees, not noticing when they tore at her skin and clothes. She pushed her aching body as her heart struggled to pump enough blood to meet the demand that her brain was commanding.

She frayed limbs from shrubs as she broke through to a clearing with a solitary, elephantine tree, with an infant airplane seat thrust in the middle of the reaching limbs. Then she saw a man staring at her, like she was not of right mind, but she comprehended that it was a justifiable assumption, she had just torn through the woods like a bat out of hell.

Then she saw what the man had cradled against his chest, it was her baby, her perfect daughter, her gift from God. She was staring straight back at Kate, tears of joy crowded and blurred her eyes as she cried, "Nike!"

Jack looked at her cautiously; the looked to his shoes, before he remembered that he was still dressed in the respectful black shoes that he was supposed to be wearing to his dad's funeral.

The woman ran towards him and for a second he was confused and almost frightened by her. He looked down at the baby in his arms, and it was reaching towards her, beaming a wide grinned smile. She reached and gently took the baby from him, and cried tears of joy as she hugged it.

Kate collapsed on the ground, tears of rapture still flowing freely from her eyes. The baby laughed as her curls tickled the side of her face, "You had me scared so much," Kate expressed out loud.

"The baby's fine," Jack cut in helpfully, "I'm a doctor, I scanned for injuries," he informed relieved that someone else could take the baby, "I assume you know the baby?" Jack asked just checking.

Kate sniffed the giggled as she stood up cradling her daughter in her arms, "I should hope so, five months ago she was inside of me," she joked. Jack was agape; this woman looked barely capable of taking care of herself, never mind having a child. She looked far too young. Kate saw the change in his expression, "I can't thank you enough for finding her and keeping her safe, if you ever need a favor, I'm here to help you," she offered the turned to leave.

"I'm sorry," Jack blurted out, "I didn't mean to offend you," he stated truthfully. Kate held a weak smile, "Don't be sorry for thinking certain thoughts," she explained, "I've heard far worse things can you imagine, but it doesn't bother me."

Jack nodded and for a few seconds, they both just looked questioningly at each other, "Do you want the airplane seat?" Jack asked indicating the item that was still of use jammed in the tree, "Just to have some sort of support for him? Her?" he asked.

Kate smiled and moved closer, "Her, and that'd be a great help," she responded candidly. Jack reached up to the tree and slowly wiggled the seat free from the suction of the tree trunk.

"Oh my God," Kate explained moving next to him, "You're bleeding!" Jack looked to his side while still working the seat free, "It's no big deal, it just needs to be stitched, but I can't reach it," he stated desolately, then pulled the seat free.

"I could stitch it for you," Kate offered, "I mean I've only ever used a sewing machine, but if you tell me how to do it, I don't mind," she elaborated.

Jack nodded and smiled, "Thanks, I have a first aid and sewing kit on the beach," he told her pointing her in the direction.

Kate began to walk through the flourishing flora of the island towards the beach, her daughter had fallen asleep against her shoulder, and Kate was relaxed even in the situation to have her daughter safe.

Jack began to collect the items needed for stitching, while Kate strapped her baby back into the seat while she slept. Kate sat in the warm sand of the beach; it was so different from all the other beaches she'd seen. The sand so much softer, almost flour like.

Jack sat beside her, then poured alcohol in his wound, wincing as it sent a stinging feeling through his body. He handed the other half of the bottle to Kate who poured it on her hands.

She opened the sewing kit and tried to thread the needle, but her wrist was in too much pain. Jack noticed from the corner of his eye that Kate was having trouble guiding the thread through the miniscule hole of the needle.

"I can thread it if you want?" he offered, she nodded and handed the needle to Jack who threaded it with ease in seconds.

"You did that rather quickly," Kate stated as she pushed Jack's torn skin together with her left hand, the pain from her wrists creeping up and stinging so much that it was almost numbing.

"I've had a lot of practice," he joked. Kate smiled at him as she began to sew his skin back together. "You don't seem scared," she stated.

"I'm not," he replied, without a smidgen of arrogance, "I have this technique I've used since I was in Med. School," he stated as he looked to her again. She raised an eyebrow and he continued, "I just let the fear sink in for only five seconds. And then I regain control and just continue on."

"I wish I could do that," Kate sighed, "But I've never been one to handle overemotional feelings well," she explained.

Jack smiled, "I think you're doing just fine," he stated and looked back to her. She smiled the turned to glance at her daughter seeking comfort in her sleeping form. Jack smiled at the serenity that passed Kate's face by just glancing at her daughter, "How old is she?"

Kate kept her grin and turned back to Jack, "She's five and a half months old," she enlightened. She finished sewing and cut the string, then opened the first aid box grabbing a fresh piece of gauze and secured it over the stitches.

As she pulled away, Jack turned and hit her wrist, she winced in pain immediately and held her wrist protectively, "I'm sorry," Jack apologized. Kate shook her head, "Don't worry about it," she replied, she went to move but Jack stopped her.

"Does it hurt a lot?" he asked her taking her hand gently in his own examining it carefully, Kate nodded. Her wrist was swelling in size and had grown a deep purple color. "You sprained it," he explained desolately, "It looks like it got caught on something, maybe you were pulling it?"

"It got stuck on the seat belt when the plane went down," Kate lied. Jack nodded with a warm smile as he reached and got medical tape from the kit, "I'm going to wrap it up tightly so it'll set back in place, try not to over exert it," he cautioned.

Then he gingerly began to wrap the tape around her frail wrist, slowing down when Kate's breath hitched. Finally when he felt that the tape was satisfactory, he cut it with the scissors and returned it to the kit.

"Thanks," Kate replied quietly. Jack pulled on his t-shirt and sent her another warm smile, "Don't worry about it." Then he paused for a moment.

"What?" Kate asked getting up and walking over to her daughter who was still sleeping peacefully.

"I don't know your name," he declared bluntly.

She giggled, "I'm Kate," she replied shoving out her right hand, he grasped it gently, "I'm Jack."

She smiled and for a moment her eyes glistened in the sunlight from above, "And who is the angel?" Jack asked motioning behind Kate to her daughter, who did somewhat represent a cherub. Her hair was light brown in color and curly, he'd seen her eyes earlier, mostly gray in color with hint of green. Even at that young of an age, she looked amazingly like Kate.

"This is Nike," Kate introduced as she picked up the seat.

"Ah, now that makes sense," Jack spoke to himself.

"What makes sense?" Kate queried.

"You said 'Nike' when you saw me, I thought you were talking about shoes," he expressed truthfully.

Kate laughed, "No, that's her name," she corrected.

"So where are you two off to now?" he questioned.

"Well her diaper bag is stuck in the highest branch of a tropical tree, and I desperately need it, so I guess we're going tree climbing," Kate replied.

"Do you need any help?" he offered.

"I could use all the help I can get," Kate answered with a smile.

* * *

The jungle was so lush, she'd been hiking before out in forests with her dad, but it was never this thick, never this untouched by humans. Trees stood like blockades in every which way, making it almost impossible to walk a straight line, only a zigzag pattern would work. The bushels of ground dwelling plants grew so feral that some stood higher then Kate's hips. 

The sun had lost some of its overpowering position from directly above the island by the time Kate and Jack made it back to the colossal tree. The dense roots used up much of the nutrients in the soil, making it impossible for floor plants to grow.

"This is the tree?" Jack gawked amazed at the tree, "It's got to be bigger then my apartment building," he exaggerated.

"I don't have to climb the whole thing," she stated as she switched the airplane seat to her other arm, "I just need to get to that branch," She then pointed to a leafless branch that looked anemic, with the yellow bag hanging off of it.

"You're going to climb this?" Jack asked cynically, "You just sprained your wrist, and you're gasping from the walk here," he announced.

Kate lowered her eyes and gave him an unimpressed smirk, "Look it's just been a while sense I've hiked through the wilderness with my baby in an airplane seat, besides I really need that bag."

"We can just go back to the beach and see if anyone is good at climbing trees," Jack told her.

"I'm good at climbing trees, and I'm already here," she argued as she set Nike on the ground as she slumbered, "Besides its getting dark, if I don't do this now, then I might have to wait until tomorrow and do you know how many times she's going to need to be changed and fed between now and then?"

"Okay, okay," Jack gave up, holding his hands up in surrender, "Do you need me to do anything?"

"Yeah, just watch her," Kate explained as she pointed to Nike sleeping silently. She then turned and gripped the hard bark of the ancient tree, climbing it swiftly, but efficiently.

The wind was cooler up in the tree, perhaps because the canopy of trees didn't raise high enough to capture the fresh air and turn it humid. She closed her eyes for a moment as a refreshing gust passed her face and sighed. To her left she could see the amazing sunset, it looked like something a famous artist would paint, all the colors blended into each other so well, it looked almost surreal. To her right the smoky wreckage of Oceanic flight 815 could still be seen burning, the plane's torn body glinting in the dying sunlight.

Kate looked out to the end of the rough, bulky branch she sat on. It grew increasingly thinner to where the bag rested, twirling in the wind. The branch might break if Kate put to much pressure on it to quickly, so she intermittently pulled herself across the ever size decreasing branch.

She could almost reach the strap as it fluttered in the wind; the sound it made reminded her of the flag that stood outside the hotel she'd have to walk past from work. Her fingers touched the strap, "Kate," Jack hollered from the ground; she rolled her eyes and placed her hand back on the limb for support as she looked down at him.

"What!" she shouted angrily at him, waiting for his answer so she could continue to grasp for the bag's strap.

"Be careful, the branch is bending a lot, to much pressure could snap it," he yelled up to her.

Kate rolled her eyes, like she already didn't know that. But he was after all kind to her, and not bad looking at all. She sighed and bit her lip, "Okay, I'll be quick," she replied.

She crawled further down the bough, and once again reached for the fastening, her hand skidded over the rough knitted material of it, "Kate," Jack yelled once again; she kept her stance and hollered, "What!"

At that precise moment, the bough cracked and Kate came tumbling to the ground. This hadn't been her first freefall out of a tree, nor her last. As several other branched zipped past her she reached out and caught hold of one about ten feet from the bottom. She wrapped both her around it, and held onto it like a child would monkey bars.

"Kate," Jack called underneath her she could hardly hear him over the solid pounding over her over excited heart.

"Yeah?" she huffed, her arms were starting to ache, but there was no physical way she could pull herself up.

Jack noticed this too, "You have to jump," he explained, "try and swing yourself towards me, then jump and I'll catch you."

Kate scoffed, "Are you serious, there's no way in…"

Jack interrupted her, "If you don't jump you're going to either land on your face, or on your legs, probably breaking one of them," He explained. She looked at him morosely, "Kate just trust me," he asked.

She nodded and grimaced as pain shot through her arms, "Alright," she agreed, and began to swing her body, "Tell me when," she declared as she kept her eyes closed.

"When," Jack exclaimed. She flew towards him with such grace that he was reminded of trapeze artists from circuses. He wrapped his arms around her waist, but the force she used to swing from the tree was too great and it knocked the both of them over and onto the ground.

Jack landed on his back, the air was knocked out of him for a minute or so, but he quickly regained himself. Kate lay on top of him, her head resting lightly on his chest. He moved a bit and groaned when Kate didn't move.

"Come on Kate," he told her as he shook her gently by the shoulder, "We'd better get back to the beach."

Kate didn't respond, and her body shook limply with his prodding, "Kate?" he asked in a more serious tone. When she didn't answer him he gently pushed her off of him and over to beside him. Getting to his hands and knees, he placed his hand on the side of her neck, to check her pulse, except he couldn't find one.

His eyes grew large and he placed his head to her chest quickly and didn't hear an intake of breathe, nor a heart beat.

"No," he shook his head and tilted back hers. Covering her mouth with his he began to perform CPR, breathing new air into her, then pushing on her chest willing her heart to begin again.

He looked over at Nike who stirred in the seat and babbled something in her sleep, "Come on Kate," he willed her as he pushed on her chest once again. He knew there was something off about her weakness and wheezing, her heart had been put through to much of a strain, and instead of relaxing, he let her climb trees.

He put his mouth to hers once again and then pushed harder on her chest, "Kate," he pleaded, "Come back now," he begged.

Suddenly she opened her eyes and began to cough frantically; Jack quickly sat her up and held her close as she coughed so she wouldn't choke. "Take deep breathes," he encouraged as he held her shaking body.

He heard her wheeze as she inhaled and exhaled, after a few moments her breathing finally regulated, "What…happened?" she whispered, her voice raspy.

Jack pulled away from her, but held her shoulders to steady her. Tears were at her eyes from coughing so hard. He looked to the side and saw the bag from the tree only a few feet away, kneeling over he grabbed it and brought it over to Kate, "Is there any water in this?" he asked her.

She nodded her head and pointed to a zippered compartment, Jack undid it and handed her the bottled water, "Drink it slow," he explained. Placing the bottle to her lips she took small sips until the burning in her throat stopped.

"You put your heart under to much strain," he told her disappointingly, "the fall from the tree and the impact of the ground knocked it out of rhythm and it stopped, you'll be fine by tomorrow, but you have to relax. That means no more tree climbing," he reprimanded.

"I'm sorry," she replied looking away from him at the almost purple sky, stars were starting to pop out of the dark canvas.

"You just scared me," Jack replied truthfully, "I didn't even have time to count to five," he added with a smile. Kate looked to him and smiled in return, "We should get back," he suggested as he stood up and brushed off his pant legs.

He reached down and held out his hand to Kate which she gladly accepted, and helped her to her feet. His hands lingered on her biceps one moment to long as she stared at him, holding an intense gaze until Nike woke up.

Her tiny sobs, made Kate look away and walk over to her daughter in the twilight, "I'm sorry, Sweetie," she apologized as she undid the seatbelt and lifted her out, "Your bum must be sore," she told her as she kissed the side of her face, Nike giggled and Jack smiled.

He picked out the baby bag and walked over to Kate, "You ready?" he asked her as Nike rest her head on Kate's shoulder, "Yeah," Kate agreed as she bent down to grab the seat.

"I got it," Jack offered as he grabbed it, "Remember you can't over exert yourself, with your wrist and your heart," he reminded in a nagging tone.

"I know, I know," Kate replied, "Don't over exert yourself he says," she told Nike, "apparently he's never been a single mother of a five month old."

"Single?" Jack asked then immediately regretted it.

"Pardon?" Kate asked naively, as she turned to look at him while they walked to where they assumed the beach was.

"Nothing," Jack shook his head, and smiled innocently.

* * *

"So you're a doctor huh?" Kate asked as she adjusted Nike against her chest. Jack looked over to her as they walked, the beach wasn't very far, they could hear voices and see fires that had been set blaze earlier, "Yeah," he replied as he held back a branch and let Kate past first. 

"So are you any specific kind of Doctor?" Kate asked looking at him. He cocked an eyebrow and she giggled nervously, "You know like an ER doctor, or an obstetrician, or a surgeon or a…"

"I'm a spinal surgeon," Jack disclosed as they set foot onto the beach. It was almost completely dark now, and though millions of stars lit the sky, they were too feeble to do any good.

"You look pretty young to be a specialized surgeon," Kate replied, she then instantly bit her lip afterward. Jack watched this action and understood it as one of regret.

"I left high school a year early," he explained, harshness eluding his voice as he stopped and faced Kate.

"Well that would explain it," Kate answered as she reached and took the baby bag from him, "I've got to go change her, if you could hold on to the seat for a little while longer, that'd be a big help."

"Sure," Jack replied as he handed her the bag, "I'm just going to be over there," he announced pointing in the general direction of where some people were laying, "I have to check out a guy, who isn't doing to well," he enlightened.

"Okay," Kate replied gloomily as she turned and trudged a distance away from everyone else, she didn't want to have to bother them with dirty diaper smell.

Jack watched as he still held the seat in his hand, and couldn't help but break a smile as she talked playfully with Nike until he couldn't hear her anymore.

"There you are," a person called as they ran up to him, "I was looking for you," a guy in his early twenties explained, "That guy with the piece of metal sticking out of him isn't doing to good," he informed.

Jack remembered him now; he was the one, who was performing faulty CPR on the elderly woman, he looked at his dress shirt pocket and still saw about six pens gathered there. "Where is he?" Jack asked.

"We moved him over here," he enlightened as Jack followed him to where the man laid, bandages wrapped around his head, and a large chunk of shrapnel sticking out of his abdomen. "He hasn't woken up yet," he continued.

Jack set down the seat and felt his head, "He's burning up, I shouldn't have left for so long," Jack divulged as he placed his forehead in his hand.

"Hey don't beat yourself up about this man, you had to make sure your wife and kid were okay," he answered reassuringly.

"What?" Jack asked looking straight into his cold blue eyes.

"I saw you come out of the jungle with them, she's your wife right?" he asked unknowingly.

Jack chuckled, "No I just met her," he notified.

"Oh I'm sorry," he replied shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it," Jack stopped he realized he didn't know this guy's name.

"Boone," he shot out his hand and Jack took it, "I'm Boone."

"Jack," he replied back as he shook his hand.

"Listen, I'd love to help, but my inane little sister is out here somewhere, and I don't trust her for two seconds by herself," he explained.

"No problem, and thanks for watching over this guy," Jack said graciously as took a seat in the sand beside him.

"Don't worry about it," Boone replied as he scampered off to find his sister.

Jack sighed; he hoped they'd be rescued soon because there was no way that this poor man would be able to pull through without the help of modern day technology.

"Is he going to make it?" a small voice asked from behind him. Jack turned around and saw Kate cradling Nike against her chest. She had a pensive, but hopeful thought.

"Do you know him?" he asked Kate, the way she looked at him, she held some kind of feeling for him. "He sat beside us on the plane," Kate said sulkily. Jack looked at her, could she really have that much compassion for someone she had just met? Or was she lying. He then realized how nice she'd been with him and figured she was just one to wear her heart on her sleeve.

"Tomorrow, first thing I have to find the cockpit," Jack explained as he sat up and led Kate away from the poor man, "If I can find the transceiver that the pilot's carry, I might be able to send out and help the search party find us," he explained as they sat down in the sand.

"I saw the cockpit," Kate explained quietly as she clutched Nike close to her chest, "When the plane went down, the back of it ripped off, I was right there, the wind was pulling and I just held on to Nike with all the strength I had," Kate explained, "Then the front ripped off and I lost my grip on her and got throw out of the plane when we first hit. I landed by the cockpit."

"Kate," Jack looked at her with sympathy in his eyes, "Do you think you could point me to where the cockpit is?" he asked.

"If you're going to find it, I'm coming with you, there's no way I'm letting you go out there alone," She explained as she watched Jack start a fire, the way his hands worked so nimbly with the wood and how he stacked it perfectly, flicking the lighter, it lit almost instantly.

"Kate you have a daughter to worry about," Jack told her, "You almost died out there today by just climbing a tree," he explained as he sat back.

"I met a really nice girl when I went to go change Nike, her name is Claire and she's about eight months pregnant. I'm pretty sure if I asked her nicely enough I could get her to watch Nike for me, I mean there's nothing to it really, every 4 hours you just feed and change her. And if I'm out there with you, I'm sure you'll keep an eye on me," Kate replied sending him a garish smile.

He had to chuckled at her stubborn attitude, "and you're okay with leaving Nike here with some girl you don't know," he posed as he leaned back into the sand.

"She's not some girl, she's Claire, and she's eight months pregnant and where's she going to go? We're on an island," Kate pointed out, "Besides it's not like I've never had to hire a babysitter for her before."

"You've hired a babysitter before?" Jack questioned.

"Not to go partying, I've hired one, once and that was when my boss told me not to bring her into work because the inspector was coming buy," Kate shrugged it off, "I had to go in, I needed the money."

Jack sighed, "If you really want to come Kate, I'm not going to stop you," he told her point blankly.

Kate sighed and Nike ensconced herself closer to her chest, "I'm not a bad mother," Kate said simply as she stroked her daughter's hair, "I know what you think, that I'm young and irresponsible and that's why I have her, that she wasn't planned, that she was an accident and I ruined my life," Kate announced, "But you couldn't be more wrong, I wanted to have a baby, and she is my life. That's why I want to go with you to find the transceiver, because I don't want her staying here for long."

Jack nodded earnestly, "Okay," he replied.

Kate smiled, "What time is it?" she asked as she began to rummage through the yellow diaper bag that was so important to get, "I had a watch but it broke after the plane crashed," Kate explained.

"It's almost ten o'clock," he informed, "why?"

Kate grinned and pulled out a bottle, "She gets hungry by ten," Kate divulged simply, "Can you do me a favor and shake, this up?" she asked handing him the bottle, "Doctor told me not to over exert my wrist," she added mockingly.

He rolled his eyes and began to vigorously shake the bottled milk, until all the contents had mixed and looked almost frothy. "Here," he replied extending it to her.

"Give it to her," she explained as Nike reached out for the bottle, and grasped it expertly with her hands. Jack chuckled as she began to gulp down the contents. Though Nike was perfectly capable of holding the bottle herself, Kate still held her close.

"How is she? " Jack asked, he knew she was fine physically, but he didn't know if there had been any change in her behavior or mood do to the situation.

"She's fine, a little upset because when the bag fell, her favorite rattle fell out and is now lost, but other then that, she's fine," Kate replied with a smile, "I guess I have to keep nursing though," Kate sighed, "I just started her out on solid foods, this is the first week though. Someone told me not to introduce more then one food a week incase of an allergic reaction."

"If you found food from the wreckage like fruit or something, you could mash it, and then feed it to her," Jack explained as he put more wood on the fire.

"But that would seem like a waste of perfectly good food when she can just get it from me," Kate replied.

"That is also true," Jack agreed, "But just think of how immune to infection she'll be."

Suddenly the ground quaked and an excruciating sound bellowed out from the darkness of the forest. Kate looked over to Jack with a frightened glint in her eyes. Jack quickly got to his feet and stood before Kate examining the jungle that lay in front of them.

When the trees began to crash and sway, Jack swiftly helped Kate to her feet, and they gathered amongst the other terrified survivors. The screeching sound and throaty growls only grew in volume as the petrified people could only watch and stare as trees were tossed like pillows through the air.

Nike started to whimper, the deafening din disrupting her calm persona. "Shhh," Kate cooed to her gently, trying to settle her down. The monster stamped through the trees ripping them violent out of the ground scaring her even more.

"Did anybody see that?" Claire asked as she wrapped an arm around her stomach, her normally stoic voice, now shaking with fear.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Kate asked again. The sun had risen and heated up the beach quickly, the odor of the fires that burned through the night and into the morning filled the air, a good, deep inhalation was hard to come by. 

Claire sat leaned her bag that was stationed in the sand behind her for support, she had tossed out on of the standard airplane blankets to make it more comfortable for her to rest, "I'm positive Kate, I have a watch, I'll feed her and change her in about four hours if you're not back by then," Claire retold the directions to make Kate feel more comfortable, "I'm sure she'll be fine, and it'll give me practice."

"Okay," Kate nodded a tad gloomily.

"You and your husband just find that transceiver thingy," she informed with a smile.

"My husband?" Kate asked her face portraying puzzlement. She stood a few feet in front of Claire, her hand braced on her hip and her posture slouched.

"The tall, rugged, good looking doctor," Claire enlightened as she licked her finger and turned the page in the diary, "I have to congratulate you on that catch," Charlie snickered.

Kate laughed nervously, "Jack's not my husband," Kate informed, "He's just a guy who wants to find the cockpit."

Claire pushed down her sunglasses a bit and looked over the rim of them, there was definitely some kind of connection between Kate and Jack, that she could tell existed and she'd never even heard a conversation between the two of them, "If you say so," Claire answered, though her voice held a steady tone of charade.

"Seriously, I just met him," Kate voiced, trying to convince Claire that there was obviously nothing between the two of them. He was a surgeon, and she, well she just wasn't his type. Besides doctor, and doctors usually married nurses.

"Well then," Claire began as she closed her diary and put it down beside her, "Does that mean he's up for grabs?" she asked cockily, her vibrant sapphire eyes glowing in the early morning sun.

Kate opened her mouth to respond but Jack cut her off, "You almost ready?" he hollered from a couple yards away. She kept her eyes on Claire, while holding a devious smile, "Yeah," she yelled back.

Kate crouched down to where Nike sat on the blanket playing with a teddy bear, "I've got to go for a little bit Angel," she disclosed to the five-month-old, "I'll be back in a little while, but Claire will take good care of you," she told her. She then scooped her up and placed a large kiss on her cheek and laughed when her daughter erupted into a fit of giggles.

* * *

"Where are you guys going?" Someone with a thick British accent asked. Jack stood up and turned dusting off his hands, "Kate knows where the cockpit is," Jack told with a sigh, "We're going to see if we can find the transceiver, it'll send out a signal, let people know where we are." 

"Do you mind if I tag along with? There's nothing I can do here to really be a help, but maybe I can help you guys some how," he explained rubbing the back of his head.

Jack looked at him, anymore people would probably just slow them down, but the look in this man's blue eyes, he could tell he needed a break from the bleakness of the beach, just like Jack had yesterday, "Sure," Jack nodded.

The man smiled, his bright white teeth almost causing a distraction from his dyed blonde hair. Almost. Jack returned the smile and stuck out his hand, "I'm Jack," he introduced himself.

"Charlie," the man replied elated and shook his hand quickly. Jack smiled and then looked back to Kate who kissed Nike goodbye and was now walking towards them, her thumbs hooked on the beige belt loops that lined the tope of her cargo pants. She walked with such confidence, yet when she talked she seemed to lack it, "It must be hard to be separated," Charlie explained.

"Huh?" Jack asked broken out of his reverie, he turned away from Kate's approaching figure to talk with Charlie.

"I mean it must be hard leaving your daughter at such a young age, especially on an island. But it's good of you and your wife to look for the cockpit for the good of us all," Claire explained with compassion.

Jack chuckled and put his forehead into his hand again, "She's not my wife," he declared lightheartedly, "I just met her yesterday."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Charlie apologized with an embarrassed twitter, "I've just seen you guys together for the last little while and I guess I assumed, and well my dad used to say, "never assume because it makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'.""

Jack laughed and shook his head, "Don't worry about it." They stood in silence for a few minutes waiting for Kate to meet them, then just a few seconds before she was within hearing range Charlie asked, "Does that mean she's up for grabs?"

Jack looked at him once again and was met by a devious wholehearted smile, he was about to reply but Kate greeted them instead.

"Hey, I'm sorry about that," she apologized immediately, Jack had heard her ask for forgiveness so many times since he'd met her, it seemed like the action was almost mechanical, like it came naturally from her.

"That's okay," he replied, "this is Charlie he wants to come with us," Jack introduced him as he gesticulated towards him, "Charlie this is Kate."

"Nice to meet you," Kate smiled so sincerely, that her eyes almost took on a horseshoe shape.

"Likewise," Charlie replied with a smile.

* * *

It was nearing noon time and the jungle had heated up like a sauna. The wind blew in fresh air, but it was quickly destroyed by the canopy. It all seemed to be pieced together like an agrestal mechanism, the breeze wafted in clean, purified air into the crowded jungle, but then disappeared quickly, leaving the new air to become rancid, musty, and hot between the trees. The canopy of leaves and branches stood about, aiding by blocking the vibrant blasts of sunlight, but harmed because the atmosphere of the area underneath was heated tenfold, almost unbearable. 

"Is it just me? Or is it like a bloody oven in here?" Charlie complained as the three of them strenuously trudged through the jungle, "Why is it so hot in here?" he asked as sweat slowly streaked down the side of his face.

"It's the greenhouse effect," Kate huffed, as she made her legs stretch to step in the dimples Jack made in the long grass as he walked, "basically the leaves from the trees create a kind of blanket, and the heat from the sun can't escape from underneath them, so it heats up," Kate enlightened as she turned back to take a look at Charlie, who gave her a stare of amazement, "Grade twelve geography was pretty tough," she added with a smile.

"Charlie, you're going to like this," Jack declared as he moved through an opening, Kate followed and soon after Charlie did. Kate stopped in her tracks, gawking at the large field, "Yeah I remember this," she divulged.

The three of them slowed their pace as they covered the large area of the field, the grass didn't grow as high here, and the cool breeze brought relaxed sighs. Charlie walked slowly, kicking tiny pebbles as he went, "Why would I like it here more?" he mumbled to himself, "We're moving slower and the sun is beating down on me now," he protested as he kicked another, that barely missed Kate's shin.

He then noticed a small white object lying on the ground. At first he pasted it off as garbage, but then he remembered that this island was supposedly uninhabited. Bending down he picked it up.

It was a white and pink colored rattle, complete with a tiny sheep on the top of it, and a lavender colored bow tied around the neck. "Kate?" Charlie called as he ran to catch up with her and Jack, "Kate," he gasped and she turned around.

Leaning over and breathing heavily, he regained himself and asked, "Is this yours?" as he held up the petite toy.

Kate's eyes lit up and she took the toy from Charlie, "This is Nike's favorite toy, I thought I lost it in the crash," She explained, then embraced Charlie, "Thank you."

"No problem," he assured, but Kate was still staring at the toy, "She shakes it all night long, and hits me with it, and," she paused for a moment, "Why am I happy again?"

Jack chuckled and she shoved the toy into her back pocket, "At least that'll bring her some comfort," Kate announced.

"Who is Nike?" Charlie asked as they continued to walk, now reentering the deep jungle.

"My daughter," Kate stated as she walked carefully over a log.

"You named your daughter after a shoe?" he questioned disbelieving as he stepped over the log.

"No, I named her after what the shoe is named after," she turned back and saw that Charlie had no idea what she was talking about, "Nike, the Greek Goddess of victory."

"We were going to write a song about a Goddess, not her someone else," Charlie revealed, while waving his hand in the air, "I can't really remember the name of her right now, but it had something to do with virtue I think," Charlie fumbled over his words.

"Now I know where I remember you from," Kate realized as she kept walking, she turned around and gave him a smile, "You're from Driveshaft."

Charlie smiled and blushed a little, someone had remembered him, "Yeah, I play bass and back-up vocals," he enlightened as he beamed.

Kate turned around but kept walking backwards at a slower pace, "My friend Beth would freak, she totally loves you guys, she even saw you live in concert in Sydney I think, last year, it was your last show."

"I remember that show, it was crazy, I think a few fires were even started," Charlie reminisced desolately, "I hope you and Beth didn't get hurt."

Kate laughed, "Don't worry Beth didn't get hurt and I didn't go," she said bluntly, by the look on Charlie's face she could tell she hurt him, "Oh not because I didn't want to see you," she smiled, "Because I was about four months pregnant at the time and I didn't a mosh pit would be much help."

Charlie smiled, "No offense taken."

"Guys," Jack called, "We should keep walking," his voiced echoes through the limitless trees.

"So," Charlie said as they caught up to Jack, "I'm a rock star, Jack's a surgeon, what do you do Kate?" he asked.

Kate looked at him and smiled, "I'm a waitress," she said sheepishly, "You guys are racking in six digit figures, while I'm barely making minimum wage."

"Well I bet you make a ton on tips," Charlie offered as they continued to walk, Kate caught eyes with Jack and he smiled.

"Well I did, but no one wants their food delivered to them by a seven month pregnant girl, so I moved to dishwashing," she divulged.

"Did you always want to be a waitress?" Charlie asked, both her and Jack sent him a look, "What, it's just a harmless question."

"No," Kate said desolately, "I was going Oxford for music."

"That's, a pretty good school," Jack commented.

"Couldn't you pay for it?" Charlie asked sadly he hated when people could you their gifts to their fullest extent.

Kate shook her head, "Nah, I got a full scholarship for playing the piano, but something came up with my sister," she divulged, the tone of her voice eliciting a vibe that she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

But the conversation was put to an end, when the trio suddenly rounded the corner. Leaning weakly against several of the jungles strongest trees, was the cockpit of the plane.

The bright white metal of the once volacious plane, now reflected the rays from the sun that hung high overhead. The oceanic symbol had been scratched up by the unplanned landing, the back lined with jagged metal edges, glinting in the sun like serrated teeth of whatever rerouted the trees.

They solemnly walked to the opening and peered inside, people were still strapped in their seats, but no signs of life could be seen. The bodies were all a deathly ashen, some people were throw sprawled out across the floor, while others sat stiffly with rigimortus in their chairs.

"Let's just get this," Charlie began but forgot the object they were looking for.

"Transceiver," Jack reminded as he climbed skillfully into the first class area of the plane. Kate shot a saddened look at Charlie then followed Jack by gripping on to the seat's legs which were fastened into the carpeted floor of the plane with heavy duty bolts.

Charlie let out a small gulp and continued after her, gripping the exact legs she gripped, not wanting any unsuspected surprises.

Kate kept her eyes in front of her, not wanting to look at any of the casualties, thinking that it could've been her. She watched to see what legs Jack gripped and mimicked his movements, though he was checking for pulses as he went along.

He made it successfully to the front of the plane and Kate froze in her spot, she stared somberly at two cadavers. A mother and a daughter, their hands still wound together, gripping tightly. Tears gathered in her eyes, the little girl couldn't have been more the five years old, she probably didn't even understand about the plane crashing.

"Kate," Jack called her out of her enthrallment. She glanced over at him, hoping to hide the tears swarming in her eyes; she nodded and continued up the plane, gasping harshly.

Jack became concerned because of the occurrence yesterday, but then noticed himself huffing rather heavily, so he dismissed it. Grabbing the fire extinguisher, he began to beat the locked door of the cockpit unhinged. He could feel it starting to loose its strength.

He looked over to Kate who was leaned panting weakly against a wall. Charlie was slowly making his way up the bodies still. Jack gave on last harsh beat with the extinguisher and the door whipped open, a body tumbling out swiftly.

Kate let out a startled gasp and moved out of the way, Charlie did the same. The carcass toppled harmlessly down the extreme slant of the plane.

Jack looked back to Kate who let out somewhat of a wheeze that alarmed him, "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded up and down quickly, "Yeah," she gasped, "You?"

"Fine," he stated still looking at her curiously, he didn't know her that well, but he hoped to God, she was telling the truth, "You don't have to come in here," he offered.

"No," she huffed, "I'd rather be in there, then out here," she explained. Jack moved out his hand, and grabbed her by the forearm, careful of her injured wrist. Looking at it for a brief second, he should've helped her climb, it must have hurt terribly.

He hauled her up, and slipped a hand around her back, helping her into the cockpit first. She rested her back against the wall just beside the doorway, "I'm going to stay out here," Charlie explained, "Look for survivors and what not."

Jack nodded and made his way into the cockpit, moving clumsily past Kate and into the copilot's seat. Outside of the windows only branches from the supporting trees could be seen. The only sound was the dull roar of thunder and the annoying pattering of the rain against the metal body of the plane.

"Great, it started raining," Kate sighed as she looked at him, still short of breath but hiding it rather well, Charlie had no clue, and Jack wouldn't have either if he wasn't a doctor.

He was about to ask her about it when she spoke, "What's this thing look like?" she asked as she wobblingly stood on her legs and leaned forward into the space between the chairs.

"Like a complicated walkie-talkie," Jack explained as he began to look under the seat he was sitting in. Kate leaned over the bruised and bloodied body of the pilot, ensconced awkwardly in his chair.

"How do you know so much about this plane stuff anyways?" she asked checking underneath the seat.

Jack chuckled, "I took a few flying lessons, it wasn't for me," he simply explained.

"A surgeon and a pilot," Kate giggled, as she checked beside the wall and the chair of the pilot by once again leaning over him, "Is there anything you can't d…" Suddenly the pilot awoke with a jut of energy and a fit of coughing.

Stunned, Kate staggered backwards unevenly, and would've made the same trip the copilot made if Jack hadn't caught her. His hand swiftly caught her bicep before she tumbled over, and pulled her securely back into the seated area.

Still holding her with one arm, he handed the conscious pilot a bottle of water that he choked on whilst he drank, Jack looked to Kate, her silvery-olive eyes connected with him for a brief moment, and for a modicum of seconds, he was stunned.

He let go of Kate's arm and turned back to the pilot, "Do you feel like anything's broken?" Jack asked as he checked his eyes, one had a horrible slash above it.

"No," the pilot groaned as he moved around, "How many survived?"

"At least forty-eight," Jack replied. He had taken the time to count as many as he could.

"Listen, we flew off course, six hours into the flight, all our equipment went haywire, so we turned back to land in Fiji and we crashed. No one knows we're here; we're at least one thousand miles off course," The pilot spoke quickly like an overly active reprobate in a church confessional.

Jack sighed taking in the information carefully, understanding it word for word, "Where's the transceiver?" he asked phlegmatically.

"There," the pilot pointed to the corner, Kate slowly crawled over and retrieved the object to Jack, who gave it to the pilot. After turning a few dials and pushing some buttons, static could be heard but nothing else, "It's not working," he explained.

Jack looked to Kate, her eyes dizzying with overwhelming emotions, he remembered her telling him she wasn't good at handling overemotional situations, and this one pretty much topped the cake, "Where's Charlie?" he asked her.

Her eyebrows knitted with puzzlement and she slowly made her way out of the small room. She stumbled out to where the boarding door and bathrooms were and peered around, only the fifty some odd dead bodies that had been there when they entered the plane were present.

"Charlie?" She asked quizzically.

The bathroom door flew open and smashed against the wall, Kate's heart did a leap in her chest and she quickly covered the pain. Charlie looked at her, with his enthusiastic azure eyes, "What are you doing in the bathroom?" her voice shaking with pain.

Suddenly, that heinous trumpeting sound from last night returned, this time so close, Kate thought it was scraping the skin off from the inside of her ears. There was a loud boom and the plane shook as a reaction.

"Kate," Jack called to her as he looked out, Kate looked over and saw that Charlie had already climbed into the cockpit, since when did everything move in a fast-forward motion.

She moved with speed, Jack grasped her arm once again, and a tremor ran through her. He pulled her up just as the monster decided to talk off and venture around the plane area for an investigation.

Jack fell against the space interposing the chairs, and steadily positioned himself in the space. One of his hands holding a cold, steel chair arm for support, while the other hung limply over Kate's left hip. She was pressed so tightly against his chest that he could feel each shudder of fear as it pasted through her. He could almost feel her heart over exhausting itself.

"It's right outside," she whispered timorous. The side of her face leaned against his as she braced herself, grabbing hold of the chairs.

"What's right outside?" The pilot asked as he switched seats, moving carefully to the opening that had been torn in the brutal landing. Full leaves from the trees stood outside and it looked almost as if the trees had torn the hole themselves.

"Shhh," Jack silenced politely as large, bulky shadows moved across the small side windows, darkening the cabin. He stood up lightly and slightly helped Kate make her way to the pilot's seat.

The pilot quietly put the transceiver on the next chair and stuck his torso out the slash in the plane. Kate counted almost four seconds before he was ripped barbarically from the gash. Kate screamed as a sheet of crimson spilt over the windshield directly before her, the raindrops dabbing at it lamely.

Then the plane roiled and churned as the giant outside slammed against it, the trio bashed against walls and windows, floors and furniture as the aircraft churned. It finally landed on the ground with a loud, sudden jolt.

Jack hit the left side, Charlie was thrown over a seat and Kate's face hit the ground. Her body froze for a moment, recovering from the sudden infliction; it was more then twelve seconds before she could inhale.

"Kate?" Jack called, she forced herself to sit up, "Come on," he explained motioning for her to follow him.

She sat up and dizzied a bit, then remembered the transceiver on the chair, grabbing it quickly; she followed Jack and Charlie as they ran through the rain. The mud hindering their wishes for a speedy get away. Jack was at least a block and a half ahead of her when she made it away from the plane, and the monster seemed less then a block behind her, but she couldn't bring herself to look back.

She watched her feet as she ran, making sure to avoid any lingering branches or any objects that could trip her that were incognito. When she looked up again she froze, there was a split of sorts. Two travelable trails, but she hadn't seen which one Jack and Charlie had chosen; their tracks had been washed away with the cascades of rain.

Another bellow from the creature made her make a rash decision and stick with the right trail; she scampered ineptly down the path, around large boulders, over fallen branches, between stationary trees.

She had to get away from the monster; she had to get back to her daughter. The only thing that kept flashing in her mind as she ambled was the mother and daughter holding each other stifling in the mausoleum that had once been first class.

* * *

"Where's Kate?" Jack heaved as Charlie stood bracing himself, his hands over placed on his legs. He had never run that fast in his life, he felt sick to the stomach. 

"I don't know," Charlie gasped as he stood up, the rain pasting his short chop hair to his forehead, mixing with the sweat. His face was red from overexertion.

"What do you mean 'you don't know?'" Jack asked as he began to breathe appropriately once again.

"She was right behind me, but when I turned back she wasn't there," he explained, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

"We have to go back for her, we have to find her," Jack declared as he turned and began to walk back in the direction he'd just come from.

"What? Are you crazy, there's a certain gargantuan quality about this thing Jack," Charlie stated, "This place," he was cut off by the abrupt ending to the rain, "Something about this place, just doesn't add up."

"Charlie, she has a daughter," he said wearily, and kept walking through the chunky, form taking mud.

Charlie sighed and nodded in comprehension, then reluctantly followed Jack back the way they had come.

They took the other untamed trail, walking dazedly over large obstacles. The sun was once again shining and now sweat and rainwater couldn't be distinguished from their clothing.

Murky puddles of rainwater now puddle in the dangerously quick drying mud, taking on a hazy brown color.

"What do you think that thing was?" Charlie asked as he followed Jack and ducked under a low growing branch.

"I don't know," Jack replied solemnly as he kept walking, not wishing to talk much.

"Do you think the pilot's dead?" Charlie asked as he walked faster to catch up with Jack who seemed to have increased his walking speed.

"I sure hope so," he replied monotonously, and received a frightened look from Charlie, "I mean, with all the blood that splattered on the windshield, would you want to be alive?"

"I guess not," Charlie replied back softly. After a few more steps of unbearable silence he asked, "Do you think she's dead."

Jack stopped in his tracks and looked at the ground, Charlie gulped, "I didn't mean to bug you," he quivered.

"No, look," he pointed to the ground and picked up a shiny pair of metallic pilot's wings. He looked past them into the misty puddle and saw the vague reflections of the neighboring trees. But there was a bundle of something unnatural within the empty boughs of one.

He turned around and looked up into the tree, Charlie mimicked his actions and stood agog, "Is…" He paused and swallowed the bile taste that had crept up the back of his throat, "Is that the pilot?" he asked.

Jack nodded somberly, "Yeah," he answered. The body chewed and mauled, his face wasn't even recognizable, the pale blue uniform he once wore was in tatters and stained a dark mahogany color of dried blood, the rest of him was just permeated with blood.

"Come on," Jack turned away, "We've got to find Kate," he explained, then stepped on something awkward, looking down he saw it was the rattle Charlie had found earlier, except now it was filthy.

Jack bent down and picked it up, glancing at it a moment or two, he finally put it in his back pocket. Charlie sighed, feeling the grief that Jack did, and hung his head as they left the area.

"Guys?" a weak voice called, immediately they turned around.

Jack quickly moved into the middle of the small clearing, "Kate?" he asked, "Kate where are you?"

"In a tree," she informed, her voice was weak and shaky, she stumbled verbally over her words.

"Did the monster get you?" Charlie asked, and instantaneously received a daggered look from Jack.

"No, I climbed it to get away from it," she explained as she snapped off a small branch and let it drop to the ground, to indicate to them where she was.

"Kate, you can come down now," Charlie explained, as he and Jack moved to the trunk of the tree "that thing is gone."

"I don't think I can move," Kate's voice cracked as she spoke, "I'm afraid because of what happened last time I was in a tree."

"It's okay Kate," Jack comforted, "I'll come up and get you okay."

"What happened the last time she was in a tree?" Charlie asked confusedly, as he watched Jack approach the trunk.

"Jack, don't…"

"No really what happened last time?" Charlie pestered once again.

"Charlie, be quiet for a second okay?" Jack asked with as much curtsey as he could muster. Charlie looked at him for a moment, astonished at his mild outbreak, but then nodded in understanding, "Okay Kate?"

"Okay," she replied back faintly.

Jack gripped the bark of the tree and began to climb it, placing his feet in the large spaces between the swirling skin of the tree. He made it through the layer of leaves that blocked the view from the ground and climbed only a few feet further when he saw Kate lying on a branch.

"I don't want to move," she whispered, her clothes still doused in the rainfall, not bits of the tree back and smudges of dirt ran across her shirt. Her eyes were red with shed tears that she was glad he missed, she didn't like showing fault, especially in front of men.

"Its okay, Kate," his smiled warmed her as he stretched out his hand, "Just take my hand, okay?"

"Jack, it's my heart to," she whispered against the woody shreds of bark, then sat up unstably to look at him.

He slowly climbed onto the branch, and was silently grateful she had chosen quite a big limb this time. His feet dangled over the side, they were only about fifteen feet from the bottom, but it still seemed needlessly high, "It's hurting again."

Kate nodded, "it hurt in the plane," she divulged and waited for his scorning, which never came. Instead she felt his warm hand press against her neck as he checked her pulse.

The speedy, rapid thumb of her heart was a bit alarming to him, "You should be okay, but when we get back to the beach, I want you to relax," he told her, his hazel eyes burning into her.

"Okay," she nodded; the silhouettes of the leaves from the trees, making her look incredibly beautiful to him. He quickly pulled away his hand and dismissed all of those feelings.

He held her hand and together they climbed down the tree, though the harsh exercise made Kate gasp for breath by the end. Charlie helped her lean against the tree as Jack finished his decent down the trunk.

"Are you okay Love, you don't look too good," he divulged.

"I just need to rest for a sec," she sighed as she leaned against the tree, "I just get exhausted easily."

"Well then what about the bruise on your face?" Charlie asked as he walked away to stare at the pilot's carcass in the tree, like it were some piece of abstract art in the Louvre.

"Huh?" Kate asked as she pressed her hand to her cheek and winced, like a timed mechanism, Jack was instantly crouched beside her in the dirt, "How did that happen?" he questioned as he touched the coffee colored bruise lightly.

"I hit it when that thing knocked over the plane," she disclosed, "Don't worry it doesn't hurt that much," she assured.

"Well that's not what I'm worried about Kate," Jack began as he sat lethargically beside her, "I'm worried about the fact that Charlie and I got tossed around as much as you and we don't even have a scrap," he enlightened.

"Well I don't know how to explain that," she answered swiftly moving her eyes away, and then handed him the transceiver, praying that it would change the subject.

"The only way you'd bruise that easily, other then sickle cell anemia that I know you don't have because your wounds are healing fine, is if you've gotten hit in the face several times before," he concluded.

"Well I was known for my rugby skills in my finale year of high school," she countered with a feigned smile as she looked at him.

"I mean on a daily basis Kate," Jack replied somberly, and Kate looked away from him, to her shoes that were now completely brown.

"Guys, I don't mean to interrupt anything," Charlie began and they both looked over to him, "How does something like that happen?" he asked gesticulating towards the pilot's mangled body.

_

* * *

Alright, so you guys I really wanna know how I did, like seriously, I'm worried that it's not good enough (though I love it) so PLEASE REVIEW! _


	2. Like Family

_Hey Guysssssssss, lol thanks for all your jerkin' views, they were pretty hot. Sorry I haven't updated much lately, it takes awhile to write plus all the teachers are like sending there evil homework powers after me! I mean what happened to the good old days when I could just go to school and watch movies and goof off?  
I have a few little tiny notes about this chapter,  
1) Kate's flashbacks have officially started and believe me they get pretty intense. Her friends (you will meet them) are based on my friends in real life. Drac (pronounced Drake) is based on my best male bud  
__Ethan: HEY  
__Second best male bud Davey, he made me the secretary of sexness and guns in gayland. Anyways his character is gay so if you have a problem with that you should probably skip over the flashbacks. Beth is based on my best gal pal  
Ethan: HEY  
__Second best gal pal Lizzie and also on my other friend, whose name I will not mention for specific reasons.  
2) The next chapter is where it starts getting really screwed up (rearranged, distorted, etc.) I will also try and introduce more characters.  
3) Also I didn't mean any offense by anything Sawyer says or how I ethnically describe the characters. If it offends you in anyway I deeply apologize. _

Just Incase 

Chapter 2

Like Family

Kate gently took off her white blouse; well it had been white, now it was an odd beige color, from the wind, dirt, rain and exhaust from the plane. She tied it around her waist as she kept walking through the thick jungle. It was now past noon and the sun's scorching rays were as hostile as ever.

She sighed, she wasn't one to complain, but the island felt like a sauna. Everything was wet, either with rain, sweat or condensation from the evaporating water. Jack pushed on ahead of her, fiddling with the transceiver, she knew that he wouldn't give up until he found a signal. Behind her Charlie lazily slapped his shoes against the ground, snapping twigs and what not.

She heard him sigh, "Anything yet?" he asked as he moved around to avoid a group of tightly woven trees, that resembled pegs sticking out of a board.

"You keep asking if there's anything," he grumbled as he switched some more dials, just increasing the level of static.

"Well excuse me, but you did say the pilot said we were over one thousand miles off course, and that this transceiver might be the only way we get home, so is there anything or not?"

"No," Jack said politely, as they kept walking. For some odd reason he never seemed to run out of energy, he was at least ten feet ahead of them, and even though his full attention was on the electronic device he held, he never fell out of step once.

Kate walked through the peg-like trees, gripping one with her delicate hand and swinging around it to grab hold of another; it reminded her of the obstacle course that was always at the fair she used to go to when she was young. A smile crept to her face when she remembered the dark night being illuminated by millions of vibrant carnival lights. The smell of cotton candy, hot dogs, and cigarettes wafted through the air.

"So what were you doing in the bathroom?" she questioned Charlie as she let go of the last splintery, thin trunk of the saplings. She slowed her pace so she was walking next to him.

"I thought you could tell," he replied looking up to her, his eyes seemed as energetic as before when he whipped open the bathroom door, almost clear off the hinges, "I was puking."

Kate smiled, here she thought she was the useless one, the one holding them back, she realized then that everyone wasn't holding Jack back, he was moving everyone to fast ahead.

"My one tangible contribution to the trek," he explained as he raised the hood of his navy blue sweater over his head, almost like a turtle retreating into its shell.

"No, I'm glad you came," Kate stated as Jack seemed to get further and further away from them.

"Of course, every trek needs a coward," he announced as he looked up to see Jack patiently stand and wait for them.

"You're not a coward Charlie," Kate declared, "Jack's the hero, I'm the damsel in distress and you're the comic relief," she elaborated as they met Jack.

"I'm the what?" He asked looking up from the device for the first time since the trio started walking.

"Nothing," Kate replied then noticed something sticking out of Jack's pocket, "Hey that's mine," she proclaimed as she grabbed the grimy handle of the rattle, dry clumps of mud promptly fell off.

Kate placed it in the back of her pocket and they continued to keep walking, Jack always at least five feet ahead of Charlie and Kate. His energy supply seemed endless, Charlie seemed to be loosing liveliness, and Kate was almost always struggling for air, though it wasn't overly noticeable.

"So are you really Nike's mother?" he asked looking at her, hoping she wouldn't mind the personal question.

"Yep," she nodded as she dodged a slinky vine that suddenly fell before her. She pulled a crimp of hair off her face and behind her ear.

"Like you didn't adopt her, or she's not your sister, or you're not a foster mom or anything?" Charlie prodded once again, swiftly moving his hand up to push aside vines that blocked the path.

"Nope, she's one hundred percent my daughter," Kate replied with a smile as she waited for Charlie to emerge from the vines, "Why?"

"You just look awfully young to have a child, that's all. Not that I'm reprimanding or anything, I don't know the circumstances of how it happened. I mean my cousin Erika; she had a baby when she was sixteen, so I understand your situation," he spoke quickly, almost slurring all his words together, making sure Kate didn't take it the wrong way. "I didn't offend you did I?" he questioned his face falling.

Kate chuckled, "I couldn't stay mad at the bass player from Driveshaft," she replied as they kept walking.

"Guys," Jack began with a frustrated sigh, the kind a parent would use after coming home and seeing that their children had attempted to make smores in the toaster, "we really have to pick up the pace, we've been gone for almost six hours," he explained.

"Sorry," Kate apologized as she moved legs faster, the damp cargo pants weighting her legs down, making it seem like each step was through drying concrete.

Everything went silent for a moment. The only sound being the leaves and sticks on the ground being mulched by their hurried steps and Kate's light wheezing inhalations.

"Arete!" Charlie yelled as he threw his hands up in superiority. A smiled gracing his face from cheek to cheek.

Kate stopped and turned back looking at Charlie, then Kate. Both staring at him wondering what had gotten into him. "Arete," said simply once again, "That was the goddess we were going to make a song about too. We had the chorus and everything," he said as if he'd accomplished some death defying feat.

Kate grinned and Jack fought the urge to roll his eyes as he turned back to the tree-claimed jungle. Once again silence, almost so loud it could echo throughout the island, until Charlie broke it again, "Oh I wished I looked before I fell into," he began to sing, his voice a nice competitor to the endless silence, which made walking look like remedial work, "This place lingering with taboo," he continued, eliciting a soft chuckle from Kate.

"Chasing you through the clouds, trying to subdue," he held the last word, "You, Arete, you gave me the gift of virtue!" he chanted at a falsetto level.

"That's really good," Kate said with a laugh, "Why didn't you release that as a single?" Kate asked.

"My brother Liam, he really didn't believe in all that ancient Greek hodgepodge," he enlightened, "Thought that it was immoral to God, even though he was the biggest womanizer I've ever known." He spoke as Kate followed Jack, then noticed that they had arrived back on the beach.

A crowd of people could be seen gathering around some event taking place a hundred yards down the beach, Jack immediately took off for that destination, fearing the worse. Charlie shrugged and followed.

Kate did the opposite; she turned and began to drag her feet through the light sands and making her way towards Claire.

* * *

"Tell everyone what you told me!" an man yelled, his fist balled, the veins in his arms protruding out of his dark skinned arms like they were pumped full of rage, "Tell them how I crashed the plane!" he yelled, an African American man holding him back.

"The shoe fits, buddy!" the other man yelled back, his Southern accent dripping with hatred.

Kate had just approached the brawl, Nike lying against her chest; the baby's head was lolled lethargically against her shoulder, the heat making her sleepy.

"What's going on?" Jack asked flustered as he held the Southerner back.

"My kid found these in the jungle," the black man explained as he let go of the man he was holding on to, and passed a pair of handcuffs to Jack. Kate's heart sank in her chest and she quickly inhaled deeply.

"He was sitting in the back of the business flight the whole time, never got up once," the American man explained, his eyebrows furrowed with anger as he made the accusation, "And I'm just pointing out that the guy who was sitting beside him didn't make it."

"Thank you so much for observing my behavior," the dark skinned man declared with a subtle touch of sarcasm. Kate sighed; this man was getting blamed, because he was clearly of Indian ethnicity.

"Don't think I didn't see them pull you out of the line before we boarded," he spat back and tried to attack the other man once again, "Bring it."

"Hey man," a rather hefty man began, "Where all in this together, why don't we treat each other with a little respect?" asked lightly.

"Shut up, Lardo," he shot back. Kate had had enough of this.

"Hey!" she yelled and everyone looked to her, Jack held a gleam of curiosity in his eye, "Let it go," she stated simply.

The Southerner chuckled, "Who the hell gave you all the presidential power?" he asked as she walked through a space between the crowded people, "You think just because you got…"

Kate cut him off, "I don't know who let you get away with talking like that back wherever the hell it is you came from," Kate began as she hiked up Nike a bit more, changing her hold, "But I guarantee you, that if you talk to me like that, you will NOT get away with it," she stressed, holding his cerulean eyed stare.

"And what are you gonna do about it Freckles?" he asked as he walked towards her. Jack was ready to pounce on this guy, she could tell, she gave him a look to back off and stepped towards him, her eyes glaring daggers at him, "you'd be surprised," she growled.

He chuckled and turned his and walked away, throwing his hand up in an aggravating manner, Jack changed the subject abruptly, "We found he transceiver. But it's not working, does anyone know how to fix it?" he questioned.

"I might be able to," the East Indian man explained as he held out his hand. Jack handed him the device and walked away to check on the Marshall. Slowly the crowd dwindled down and Kate was left standing, still perturbed about the event that had happened.

Nike reached up and pulled a curl of her hair and giggled when it bounced back into its original form. She looked down into the chubby freckle-speckled, dirt stained face of her daughter, "Let's get you clean up, huh?" Kate asked as she rubbed her nose against her daughter's, educing a giggle fit.

She began to walk down the beach, the baby bag slung over her arm, when she saw the man who volunteered to fix the transceiver underneath a long palm tree on the shore, debris from the plane was littered around him and he was rummaging through suitcases piled before him looking for tools.

Kate simpered as she walked through the sand over to him, "I'm sorry about that," Kate expressed as she stood beside him hoping she wasn't disrupting him.

"There is nothing to be sorry about," he answered looking up with a smile, "you didn't do anything wrong." His hand held the electronic gadget in one hand, the outer case had been opened and the microchips and such were exposed, almost as if he were operating on it.

_If only you knew_, she thought to herself with a pensive smile, "Well we know he certainly isn't going to apologize and I felt someone should," she explained, "I just can't take people like that."

He smiled when she sat next to him and continued to work on the transceiver, taking a small screw driver and loosening some certain wires, "Some people have problems," he offered.

"Everyone has problems," she stated bitterly, "But we all don't go around acting like a big jerk."

He chuckled, a meaningful, deep chortle that almost shook his entire body, he placed the device on the ground and placed his hand over his face, "You're certainly one to speak your mind," he noticed.

"We it comes to certain topics," she answered with a sly smile. She stuck out her hand in the air, it was covered from dirt stains from the earlier expedition, and she blushed slightly, "I'm Kate."

He shook her hand gently, "I'm Sayid," he introduced himself.

"Do you need help with anything?" she asked, "I don't know much about electronics, but of you need me to find anything."

"I'm fine for now," he stated, "Besides I think you have your hands full at the moment."

Kate nodded, "I'm sorry, this is my daughter, Nike," she introduced the five-month-old and sat her in her lap.

* * *

The sun was setting; the night winds would soon be claiming the beach, stirring everyone in a fury of panic, that the monster would come back. That was the very least thing they needed, they could barely live amongst each other, and now there was another dangerous factor added.

Kate had spent most of the day talking to Sayid, learning somewhat about his past in the Republican Guard. She had no biased opinion on anything he had done in the past, it's not like hers was laced with cashmere made by God, himself. In retrospect she probably helped him by being having an untainted conscience.

Around the time Nike needed to be changed she excused herself, and took her to an isolated area on the beach and gave her a quick sponge bath. With her taken care of, Kate need only worry about herself, but she was dreadfully tired, a day of hiking followed by childcare was not a lazy day.

She walked meekly down the beach just above the surf, the waves gently lapping close to her feet, the sound like some angelic choir that made her eyelids spoiled with sleep. Nike reached up and began to play with her earring, bringing a smile to her lips, "You never get tired of earrings do you?" she asked her daughter who smiled lopsidedly.

"Kate!" someone called her from ahead on the beach, from the faint light she could only seen a dark contour waving her down. She stopped walking for a moment and arched an eyebrow, and the person began to run towards her.

Turning she faced the ocean, the water carrying the sun's dying light to shore as the waves feebly crashed, not even making an attempt to be fierce. Kate understood to well, that the ocean had seen better days; it was probably tired from carrying flotsam from an airplane all day.

"Kate," Jack sounded reprimanding as he stopped beside her, "You shouldn't be out here by yourself, we still haven't found who the US Marshal was transporting. And not after that thing," he gesticulated towards the trees lining the beach, "We don't know what it can do."

"It can chew up a pilot pretty good," she explained with a huff, as she turned toward him, her bruised cheek outlined by the morbid, but equally glorious sunset. See this Nike moved her hand up and with one finger jabbed the area harshly, "Ah," she winced then looked at her daughter, "Someone's in a naughty mood today."

Jack smiled grimly, "How's it feel?" he asked as he brought a large hand up to touch it, the bruise was still swelling and warm to touch, but in a matter of days would be invisible.

"Jack, its fine," Kate assured as she rolled her eyes, "I've had worse," immediately she wished this was an episode of Peabody's Improbable History and she had a way back machine. Biting her lip she watched him intently.

"About that Kate…"

"I don't want to talk about it," she interrupted, not wanting the subject to even bud, never mind blossom.

"I was going to say, if you want to talk about it, I'm here," he finished. Looking at her quizzically, wondering why she was so guarded.

"Thanks, but I know I won't need to," she explained as she turned around. Jack knew she something had happened to her, to make her apologize to everyone, for everything that wasn't her fault.

"How's you're heart?" he asked trying to get her back, making sure that she wasn't completely sheltered from everyone on the island.

"It's okay I guess, nothing really big since I yelled at that guy," she enlightened.

"Sawyer?" Jack asked crossing his arms over his chest to stop from balling his fists.

"The guy with the accent?" she questioned back, "the one who was verbally abusing everything within a five foot radius?"

Jack nodded, "You were in pain when you yelled at him?" he asked. She glanced at him, a quick flash of fear peeked out of her eyes, if he blinked he would've missed it, but he didn't, "Kate, were you?"

"Yeah…" She answered uneasily, "Is that bad?" Nike reached up and grabbed a piece of hair once again, pulling it straight then musing as it returned to its previous state.

"Well have you been relaxing like I told you to?" he asked.

"No exactly," Kate began as she looked over to him; she bit her lip, knowing she was going to get an earful.

"Kate, you have to relax, it's not so hard to do, you sit on a blanket and you read. Or you sleep. Or you do something else," he exclaimed fighting from loosing his cool, "This isn't some joke."

"I know it's not a joke," Kate replied angrily, her eyes glaring at him.

"Then why do you treat it like one?" he chastised loudly. Nike looked over to him with a questioning face.

"Because Jack, it's not so easy to relax when you're the solitary caregiver to a five-month-old who relies on you for everything," she yelled back and her voice cracked in pain. She placed the hand that wasn't supporting Nike to her chest and uttered a small gasp of pain as her eyes watered.

Jack instantly moved an arm around her back holding her up so she wouldn't fall and get a face full of sand. She began to wheeze for air, her hand slowly sliding from around Nike's waist, Jack noticed this and grasped the child before she could fall to the ground.

* * *

"_There's one bedroom, one bathroom, a large kitchen and a beautiful view from the balcony," the landlord described as Kate walked around the vastly empty apartment. Her shoes lightly clicked over the hardwood floors and the sound echoed. _

"_It's beautiful," Kate spoke in awe, still glancing around the open room. _

"_All the appliances come with the kitchen and cable comes free," the landlord said once again, she was standing at the door waiting with a clipboard, tapping her feet impatiently. She would've preferred to rent the apartment to a young married couple who were native to Australia, but no one had made a move on it yet. _

"_When can I move in?" Kate asked as she pulled her bag back up onto her shoulder, it had slowly been sliding down. _

_The landlord sighed; she was a short, stocky woman in her late fifties. Her graying hair was wrapped securely in a painfully tight bun on the back of her head. Her thick cat's-eye glasses slid down on her short pig nose, "As soon as I get proof of citizenship, then you can sign the documents right away," she almost grumbled as she pushed her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose, "But I have to tell you that there's a," she smiled innocently. _

"_That's okay," Kate expressed with a grin as she pulled out the fake ID Leo had gotten before his untimely demise. _

_She glanced at it, then glanced at Kate, "How old are you?" she questioned, her eyes squinting to look at the small print. _

"_I'm nineteen," Kate spoke the truth, she hadn't bothered changing her age, if anything she looked younger then nineteen, and her name was still the same. She had used a pseudo name for the bank robbery, and she doubted Anthony had followed her. _

_The landlord wrote it down on the mandatory sheet, used for filing, "And what's your current address now?" she questioned, her eyes glaring over the top of her glasses. The light from the window gleaming off them, causing an almost demonic quality. _

"_The Holiday Inn," Kate stated, "I just relocated here about a week ago, I figured I should find a good apartment." _

"_Did you by any chance find a job yet?" she questioned almost lethargically, like dealing with Kate was a bore._

"_Actually I have a job interview in about an hour at the club a few blocks away, The Astrobleme," Kate explained. _

"_Alright then," she finished writing in all the required information, "I'll get this processed tomorrow, and you should be able to move in by Friday," the landlord explained, "But there is a few things I'd like to clarify, the rent is about a thousand dollars a month, but that's just for you," she paused and took her glasses off and began to clean them, "I'm afraid if anyone moves in here with you, I'll have to raise the rent a bit."_

_Kate scoffed and received an interesting look from the landlord, "No, it's just, that won't be happening," she informed, "It'll be me living here alone for a long time." _

_"How long have you been working as a waitress?" _

_Kate looked up from her daze, it probably wasn't the best thing to do during a job interview, but sometimes her mind just wandered in and out of reality now and then, "Umm, I worked as a waitress when I was sixteen to earn a few bucks, then after high school, I uh, served drinks full time," she lied, serving drinks wasn't what she usually did at Anthony's, but it was in the job description. _

_"I see," he said trailing off, he put her résumé down on the table and rubbed his temples with one of his hands. His gray hair fell from in front of his eyes; he looked like he should be a grandpa, not a club owner. "And where exactly are your references for this job?" he asked, his voice sounded pained. _

_"Umm, I don't exactly have any, I kind of severed all ties when I moved here," she smiled sheepishly, she just knew she wasn't going to get this job, "But I have nothing else to do, I'm not a student, so you don't have to worry about classes getting in the way of my work. So I could take long shifts," she explained. The job she was applying for was for a waitress. _

_During the day from around five in the morning to seven at night, the establishment worked as a restaurant, mimicking a diner almost. But from eight at night to four in the morning, it was one of the hottest clubs on the strip. _

_He looked into Kate's eyes, "I've got tons of people lined up for this position," he enlightened, "Some with over ten years experience, some with actually degrees from bartender college, but all of them have references," he almost bragged, "I keep a small staff, and that's because the staff is almost like a family," he explained as he got up from his seat. _

_Kate looked to the floor, she knew she probably wouldn't get the job, but part of her told her she had to try. "But something about you," he began, "How you came in here with no references, and nothing to loose. That tells me you belong here," he told her and she almost fainted. _

_"Welcome to the family," he greeted shoving out his plump hand, and Kate gratefully accepted it, "What do you say we meet the rest of kiddies, eh?" _

_In a small room located behind the bar was a kitchen. Kate followed the man back and was blinding instantaneously by the stainless steel and white walls. The floors were white linoleum the kind that had speckled indents within. The sink, stove and cupboards were all made of steel, gleaming in the industrial room, it all held a mechanical feel. _

_The outline of the kitchen ran in a 'u' shape around the room with a small island in the middle, the only abstract qualities were two doors, a wooden one that led to a closet, and another metal one leading to a freezer. _

_On the small island in the middle of the room, two people were gathered by it, loitering lazily. One was a man in his early twenties, his black hair had been closely buzzed to his head and he stood more then six feet tall. He had a burly quality about him, but he wasn't fat, more like well set. Kate first noticed his mysterious eyes, almost pure black, like the sky at midnight, they seemed to even hold a mystical property to them. _

_The other was a petite and scrawny girl. She sat up on the island, her arms and legs crossed as she blew her Hubba Bubba gum in big bright pink semi-circular orbs out of her mouth. Her hair was choppy almost to her shoulders, but not quite, it was dyed a variety of colors from bright red flowing into bright purple. Her make up consisted of sparkled and bright mismatched colors, it looks more as if she'd tried to decorate a Christmas tree, then apply makeup. _

_They were both leaned over a magazine gabbing at something among the pages, "You know that they're totally fake," the girl explained with a devious smile as another bubble escaped her mouth, into the air with a 'pop'. _

"_I could care less," the guy replied with a sigh as he leaned further down on his hand, which pushed his cheek up making his left eye look like a slit. She smacked him swiftly on the back of his head, "Ah what was that for?" he asked rubbed newly injured spot. _

"_You should care," she replied as she placed her scrawny fists on her hips in an attempt to frighten, "This is what society is going to the perfect female body? Making it so that girls have to get so much surgery that they crap silicon?" she asked and another bubble came from her purple stained lips. _

"_Touchy," he answered moving away from her, "I just meant I don't care 'cause I don't swing that way."_

"_Yeah I remember now," she rolled her gray eyes; "you never got over that 'girl's give you cooties' stage in grade school." She laughed to herself as the man look upon her with disapproval._

"_If you two would stop fooling around, I'll introduce you to your knew coworker," the boss offered from beside her. Both of their eyes fell upon her and Kate froze, she was never really good at dealing with attention. _

"_This is Kate, she's gonna be the new waitress," he announced, "This is Beth," he introduced the scrawny, ill looking twenty-year old who had hopped down from the metal island, "And this is Drac," he introduced the man who loomed over all three of them, "And I am, of course, Willy." _

_Kate reached out and shook Drac's hand and was surprised by his genuine sincerity about being happy to meet her. She smiled and shook Beth's hand. The sleeve of her shirt fell back momentarily and when Kate looked down she could see deep red scratch marks, crosshatched across Beth's wrist. _

_She looked down and seemed to notice too as she pulled away from Kate's grip and pulled the sleeve of her sheer, rainbow top back down. "Glad to meet you," she greeted, her accent strong on every word. _

"_Glad to meet you too." _

* * *

Kate's face was now beet red as Jack gently helped guide her to the ground, tears freely streaming down her face. Nike was beginning to get riled up, squirming in Jack's arms to go back to her mother.

In the frenzy that was taking place, Jack was able to get Kate sitting in the soft sand and he knelt down in front of her, with her wailing daughter still cradled in his arms, "Kate," he told her calmly, "Kate you have to listen to me," she portrayed no action that told him she was listening, so he tipped her chin up. Staring directly into her frightened jaded-gray eyes, tears rolled down her cheeks in fat, long strides as she dug her hands into the sand, gripping in pain.

"Listen to me Kate," he implored, as he gently held her chin in his hand, Nike had stopped her torrent of tears and now watched suspiciously as Jack continued, "You have to do what I tell you," he declared, "I want you to take three short gasps for air and then one huge gulp, okay?" he questioned Kate moved her eyes to the ground and Jack questioned once again, "Okay?" and she nodded through gasps.

"Alright," he began, "I'll do it with you, okay?" her tears were falling from her face and soaking his hand, making it shine in the twilight. Nike was reaching for her, babbling incoherently, stretching her tiny arms.

"One," Jack took in a quick breath, along with Kate who winced.

"Two," they took another shirt gasp.

"Three," he announced and grabbed Kate's hand, catching her eye, he squeezed it tightly and they both inhaled deeply.

Kate's heart stabbed in her chest as she sucked air in with all her might, the pain grew as she inhaled in deeper. Then suddenly something seemed to click and the pain floated away, she took another breath to double check and was relieved to find that Jack's idea had worked.

She look back up at Jack, her face still rouged, tearstains glistening off her swelling cheeks, the commotion seemed to have stopped momentarily. Only the tranquil sound of the waves moving to the shore at a snails pace could be heard. They both just sat looking at each other, staring almost, neither knowing what to do.

Kate gently moved in and wrapped her arms weakly around his neck, hugging him loosely. To Jack though it was the most meaningful embrace he'd ever taken part in. He moved his hand up and rested it on her back, over the gritty material of her tank top. For some odd reason, Jack felt as if this was her first hug in years.

"Thank you," she replied as quietly. She softly took Nike from him and giggled with her daughter, scattering kisses all over her face. Jack smiled as he stood, then bent down offering Kate a hand, "I'm sorry I got mad at you," she expressed as he helped her stand up.

"Kate, it's okay for you to get mad, you know," he enlightened, "It's a normal human emotion, you're allowed to feel anger."

Kate's lips pursed together and her eyes told him that there was something he didn't understand, like she was being torn up my secrets underneath it all, "Kate, I think you should go sit down," he suggested.

"I'll go to sleep as soon as I can get cleaned up a little," she elaborated as she began to walk through the sand; the grains that flew off her shoes sparkled in the light, giving her an ethereal glow.

"Then go get cleaned up," he told her as he jogged to catch her, she was amazingly resilient, but he guessed all mothers had to be.

"I can't get cleaned up until I get someone to watch her, Claire went to sleep and I don't want to wake her up," Kate explained as she slowed her rate of ambling down so she could walk comfortably with Jack.

"I could watch her you know," Jack suggested, he looked over to Kate to see her response. Her face was scrunched in a pensive manner, he could tell she was clearly thinking it over, "Come on," he pressured, "I took good care of her when I found her," he reminded.

"I feel so bad with leaving her here," she shook her head, "We've never been separated more then a day," Kate disclosed, "When she was born there was a few complications, so she was in NICU and I was in ICU, so we couldn't see much of each other," she elaborated as she nuzzled her cheek against her daughter's who let out a small giggle.

"Kate, I've been trained how to take care of babies, believe me I think I can handle yours for an hour," he said with a smug laugh, "Besides," he continued, "She likes me," he added as he took her tiny hand within his and she giggled.

"Well that's true," Kate nodded; she had stopped walking and looked at Jack who still held her daughter's hand, "Alright," she agreed, "I'll be back in less then an hour, if you need to change her, which I doubt you will," Kate rambled as she dug through the baby bag, "here are some baby wipes and diapers," she handed them to him.

"Alright," he nodded, "But why not just give me the bag?" he asked pointing to the yellow tote.

Kate smiled, "I need to fill up some more bottles, which should be an interesting experience in itself," she sighed and Jack laughed.

She kissed Nike's head lightly, "You be good for Jack," she stated as she handed the half-asleep baby to him. She then turned away, the moonlight outlining her in a slate tinge, she took a few more steps then walked back towards Jack who held the sleeping baby, "here," she told him as she handed him the rattle.

Immediately Nike seemed to be thrust out of her sleep, she ripped the rattle away from him and began to shake it consistently. Kate smiled as she walked away and Jack yelled, "You just had to give me a hard time didn't you!"

* * *

Jack rummaged through the medical supplies he'd been given, marking down the different drugs, and the quantity of them. Nike sat beside him on a beach towel he had laid out for her. She hadn't stopped shaking that rattle since Kate had given it to her and that was almost thirty minutes ago.

Jack looked up from the notepad he was scribbling on and glanced at her, she was dressed in a light, one piece pajama suit, that Kate must've changed her into earlier. She sat bashing the rattle into the sand with force, then admired the indents she had made. She smiled to herself impressed with what she had accomplished and Jack let out a chuckle.

She looked over to him, catching his eyes, and then started to giggle as well. She dug her inexperienced hands into the sand, marveling at how it just slipped through her chubby fingers. Looking back over to Jack she noticed he was gone, and a unrefined look of puzzlement passed her face.

Cautiously, she crawled over the downy sand to the pile of luggage Jack was located behind. She stopped and plopped her diapered bottom down in the sand, gazing at the luggage, wondering where he went.

Then Jack sprang out from behind the pile and expressed, "Peek-a-boo!" Nike responded instantly with a outburst of giggles, opening her mouth and closing her eyes. To her it was the most innovated thing in the world.

Opening her gray eyes once again she noticed that Jack had disappeared. She eyed the luggage once again, trying to figure out what she'd done to trigger his reappearance before. Then before she could fully decipher the game, he popped up again with another, "Peek-a-boo."

She laughed again, and Jack chuckled, unaware of Charlie's presence. He slid his arm down the front of the suitcases relaxing there for a moment, watching Nike chuckle. Charlie merely shook his head and walked past Jack giving him a pat on the back and a, "Good job," as if Jack belonged on the short bus.

He felt foolish for a moment and considered going back to his work, until he felt the small grip of a hand pull on his. He turned back to Nike who was jerking his hand with delight, and suddenly, he thought that what Charlie thought, didn't matter.

* * *

Kate walked through the cool, night sands of the beach. Her feet ached from earlier that day, her feet bruised and blistered from hiking and running to such an extent. The grains rushed against her feet every time she moved, and with each step, her pain seemed to be diminishing. Like the sand almost had a therapeutic value. Which made her consider the thought of dropping to her knees and rubbing her face up and down the jagged surface of the beach, like striking a match to a brick wall.

She had lied to Jack, it did hurt. A dull stabbing pain could be felt there whenever she inhaled, but she wouldn't let him think she was weak, if she already hadn't done that with that Godforsaken heart of hers.

She saw Jack playing with Nike, drawing little designs in the sand to amuse her. Kate realized that he wasn't a bad guy, but he was a doctor, he had a strong sense of morality, and would stick by them if Kate spilt her guts. So she made the decision to stick to the sham of a story she had come up with for a background.

"Hey," someone called out from behind her. Kate turned around and as her dark curls settled she could see the vague outline of a girl about her age. She was skinnier then Kate, but also curvier. Her hair was dyed that Paris Hilton, industrial blonde, but her dark brown roots were slowly beginning to show. Kate knew girls like her back in high school, she didn't particularly care for them and they belittled her. This girl had obviously wanted something.

"Hey I've been looking all over the luggage and crap, and I can't find my mirror," She explained though it sounded like she was complaining. Kate arched an eyebrow wondering if she wanted sympathy from her, because if she did, she had come to the wrong person, "I was just wondering if you had a mirror I could borrow."

"Yeah," Kate replied as she dug through the diaper bag at her side and pulled out a small compact mirror, "You can have it, I don't really need it," she replied.

"Thanks," she answered a little too blandly, "Oh and my brother was telling me that your boyfriend or something was a doctor, Boone said I should probably know who the doctor was," she rambled not really paying attention to her own words.

"He's not my boyfriend," Kate smiled, "But that's Jack, and he is the doctor," she pointed back to where Jack now had Nike lifted above his head as he entertained her, "I'm Kate by the way."

"Hmm," the girl said as she took out a pink colored lipstick tub and draw over the faint lines of her lip as she watched herself closely in the mirror. After mushing her lips together and opening them with a 'pop' sound, she replied, "I'm Shannon." She had finally taken the time to look past Kate and at Jack, "Whose kid?"

"Mine," Kate answered as she walked away; she had had enough of Shannon for today. Shannon watched Kate closely with her cobalt eyes, as she approached Jack with a smile and immediately lifted her daughter into her arms, kissing her lovingly on the cheek.

"Yeah right," she huffed as she turned on the spot and stomped back to her spot on the beach.

* * *

"Who was that?" Jack asked as he sat back next to Kate, he had added more brushwood to the fire.

She sat with Nike in her lap, her arms wrapped lightly around her torso for support as she shook the rattle, "That was Shannon, she was looking for a mirror," Kate didn't want to go any further into the topic if she didn't have to, but then remembered, "She said her brother told her to find out who the doctor was."

"Her brother?" Jack posed as he leaned back in the sand, "I've barely talked to anyone on this island other then you and Charlie."

Kate began to smile but when Jack looked over to her she quickly hid it, "She told me his name, it started with a 'b'," She crinkled her nose up as she tried to think of the name, "It was an uncommon one."

"Oh, Boone?" Jack pondered out loud.

"Yeah," she nodded, "you know him?"

"Yeah, he helped me out earlier with the guy who has that piece of shrapnel in him," he enlightened, "he told me his sister was inane."

"Well let's just say she's a Veronica to my Betty," Kate answered drawing out a chuckle from Jack.

"How's your heart?" he questioned after it fell silent.

"It's okay, I guess, I can't really tell," she answered honestly. Looking over to him she asked, "Do you know what the problem is?"

"I have no clue, heart problems is a broad category, if I had a stethoscope I'd be able to narrow it down a bit, but I can't find mine," he replied with a sigh.

"Don't worry about it," she replied stoically, "I'm sure it's nothing, I mean it just happened."

"Yeah it just happened after a plane crash, after you fell out of the tree and your heart stopped, after you ran until you couldn't breath, and got so angry that your heart tensed up," he countered, then realized he was probably scaring her to death, "I don't mean to scare you, it's just that you have to take it easy," he explained as he saw her hurt eyes stare at him, "Especially for her," he replied as took the sleeping baby's hands.

Kate smiled an almost phantom smile and ran her fingers lightly through Nike's thin, fawn, curled hair. He could see by the almost black bags under her eyes that she had not had a substantial amount of sleep in the past days.

"You should get to sleep," he suggested getting up from his cozy spot beside her, "When Nike wakes up I'm sure she'll want a lot of things, and if you're to tired to give them to her, then that doesn't pass well with either of you," he disclosed as he handed her a bottle of water.

"What's this for?" she asked eying the water suspiciously as she vigilantly moved her hand up to take it.

"It's to help you swallow these," he stated as he dropped two red pills in her hand, "They're Tylenol, because that bruise on your face doesn't look to soothing," he replied. Even if she did just hit it off the floor in the cockpit, it wouldn't bruise nearly as much.

Kate was too tired to argue about anything, she accepted the pills and gulped them down with, "Is it okay if I just go to sleep here tonight?" she questioned, "All my stuff's here anyways."

"Yeah," Jack agreed, "I'll stay up for a little while more, just until the fire burns out," he stated.

Kate smiled and placed Nike onto the blanket she was sitting on. The infant grumbled and adjusted her position but then fell back asleep. Jack handed Kate a blanket and she covered both Nike and herself with it, "Goodnight Jack," she whispered.

"Goodnight Kate," he replied back.

_

* * *

Hey guys I just wanted to take this time to add a lil' something, something. If you really like this story and you absolutely, positively **CANNOT WAIT TO READ MORE** then you should check out my MSN space (link in my profile) because if I write a part I really like, then I put it up, so it kinda gives sneak peeks. Also 'Shiggity's view on Another' is up and it's kinda a written commentary, one why I made certain things happen and where ideas came from._

**Whirlwind-2005  
**_Wow, I'm sorry it took you so long to read (PS I HATE JOHNNY DEPP, DIE EDWARD SCISSOR HANDS!) but I'm glad you found it interesting. Sawyer and Shannon were introduced briefly in this chappie, but believe me you'll see more of both (I kinda took a different spin on Shannon), and in the next chapter I'm gonna work Hurley and Locke into it. I didn't mean for Claire to come off cocky, she's just being playful. And Kate isn't weak, she's just unsure. _

**Freckles-101  
**_Hmm I know where I'm going with Kate's heart problems, but do you? Probably not, let's just say that they can be fixed…perhaps. In the next chapter Jack finds Kate's mug shots and everything goes to hell, so be ready for that._

**Orlando-crazy  
**_Aww I'm glad you like it. But I can't update as often because it takes a helluva time to write. _

**amlost**

_I'm glad you like it, and believe me if I can actually get everything I want to happen I this story, it's going to be purely Jack and Kate _

**Lara Chubb of Deep Hollow**_  
Aww I thought some of the diehard Leo fans would like that. And yeah, believe me more people will think that Jack and Kate are married.. _

**Lostobsessivefreak  
**_It took about 13-16 days of writing (I'm not sure because I had it shipped back and forth between computers so I could write when it was late, late night). I'm glad you liked it and I hope that you're passed your ummm 'barrier' in your writing (Waterfall…) I hope to talk to you soon and good luck with your acting classes!_

**Piper  
**_Glad you like it, I'll try to review ASAP_

**October Sky  
**_Yep all Kate's flashbacks from 'Another' apply to this story, but I'm continuing on, adding new characters on and then killing them off so I can get some hatemail (I'm just kidding), no one dies…so far. I tried to add the threading scene in as much as I could, but it really didn't fit that well. _

**CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88  
**_Yeah I know how you feel about Kate being tied down. I didn't want it to make it look like she's juts pawning off Nike every time she wants to go somewhere. So expect to see her excluded on some things, like the polar bear hike, which means lots more J/K scenes but then their all about him yelling at her for the mug shot…. _

**standardblack**

_I MADE IT JUST FOR YOU! Lol I hoped you liked the 'Peek-A-boo' scene because I remembered you reviewing saying you wanted more Jack and Nike scenes. So there you go (And expect a sentimental on in the next chapter) and in about chapter 13 or 14 expect a heart breaking one. _

**Flutemarcher  
**_I'm glad you liked it, and I will admit... it was fun. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the first one (it had some funny Charlie scenes in it (I myself love the 'hero, comic relief' scene) _

**Josee  
**_Lol yeah, everyone thinks that they're married, and people still think so (IE Locke and Hurley that I haven't added in yet) _

**Jackluver928  
**_Pangs of Guilt is currently a WIP (work in progress) it's on the back burner now, but don't worry this story can only be about 24 chapters long. _

**Rain1657**

_I let my imagination and Ethan take over for a bit. For a little future scoop, he's in this and he's meaner then ever, like seriously, he's a bitch. And he does end up dying, but not by Charlie, probably the last person you think shoots him. _

**Gowland  
**_LMAO Jack doesn't have to die at the end of another, two alternate endings were made, like in a movie or whatever, so if you didn't want him to die, juts ignore chapter 23, hee hee. I have plans of killing a main character but not for awhile so don't worry about it. _

**Smilez4eva  
**_I'm glad you liked it and thanks for the review. _

**Trish  
**_I'm glad you liked it so much, and I'm glad it rocked your world, I hope that all the other chapters are equally as good _

**Pink Pinker  
**_I'm glad you like the story, and of course Ethan is back  
Ethan: (Hannibal Lecter-esque) I never left…  
Believe me he gets pretty violent… _

**Eliza4928  
**_I'm sorry the chapters are so long, but you know each one is supposed to be the equivalent of an one hour episode. But I'm glad that it was worth reading. _

**Jerseygirl00320  
**_I'm glad you like 'Another' and read it, and I look forward to your future reviews. I might go into a little implied C/C and S/S but I dunno yet, maybe not, because I just like sticking to good ol' Jack and Kate. _

**Lillywriter  
**_Yeah it's amazing how much J/K you can write without actually making them mack it up at every minute. LOl believe that wont happen for awhile, but when it does, it'll be worth it. _

**Insane Insomniac  
**_Dear Diary,  
II gave me a review today, it warmed my special spot  
PS Austranada has taken over Alaska with Kangaroos and flinging squirrels.  
Love PEL_

**ELfan78  
**_Lol I tried to write fast and it took me 7 days! ARGH because of homework (stabnation!) but I'm glad you liked it and I will try to write faster… _

**FanOfLOST  
**_Lol I'm sorry it took you so long, but thanks for the hat tip Lenny. Lol we're reading 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' in English and Lenny made me think of that.  
Ethan: Evil Nurse Ratched!  
I hope you liked some of the saying in this chapter too, there are a couple I really like, and as for that 'assume' thing, my mom always tells me that, so I always use 'presume'. _

**Holly lover of all things Shiggity  
**_(Blushes) Aww, seriously that is the nicest thing anyone has said to me! Well one of the nicest (I don't wanna go making all the other reviews jealous) (whipers) it was the nicest…  
I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but it takes time to write, and you know you can't force a beautiful thing  
Ethan: What about labor?  
What about shutting you mouth. Anyways, I'm sorry I haven't updated POG in awhile, but I promise I'll do so soon, you see this story can only be 24 (number of lost episodes) long, so after that it's over until the new season, and then it's POG all summer long baby. Also if you like my writing I do reviews of Lost weekly (I try) and their funny so it's kinda a different style, the link is at my webpage and my webpage link is on my profile. Anyways thank you so much for the support! _

**Next Chapter- **After Kate DOESN'T go on the crazy polar bear walk, she stays back on the beach to help. Getting to know Claire a little better, getting to meet Hurley and maybe Locke. Oh and getting an earful of bitch when he finds her fake mug shots. Plus the sweetest flashback ever! Hope to hear from you!


	3. Things Aren't What They Seem

_Hey you guys, sorry it took me so long to update, that whole homework thing (I now have a damn egg baby! I know I know, robot baby, egg baby…. WHATEVA!) and I went to NY for about 5 days so I really wasn't here. But I finished this chapter as fast as I could, so if there are a few minor spelling mistakes, gimme a break, I'm tired and I have to write 4 essays, do 2 projects, and write 1 lost review…  
Also it should be brought to your attention that a few scenes in this chapter are quite graphic, one dealing with suicide, and the other with mature subject matter, if you feel bothered by either of them, perhaps you should skip this chapter. _

Just Incase 

Chapter 3

Things Aren't What They Seem

Kate slowly slid open one of her somnolent eyes, they slowly adjusted to the latent morning sun that had just crawled out of slumber an hour ago. She moved her hand over to Nike, but only felt the wrinkled, downiness of the standard airplane blanket underneath.

She sat up instantly, flinging the other blanket away from her. She drew in a ragged breath as she stared down at the empty space beside her, only littered with a handful of sand.

She could feel her blood pressure begin to rise as her hands started to quiver along with her lower lip. Her fearful eyes darted around the area she had been in. Quickly, she moved and looked around all pieces of luggage. Her heart was pounding like a symphony of drums, slowly becoming faster as more pain began to rise in her chest.

She sat down, her back against the luggage pile as she placed her head on her knees and tears streamed from her face, blending with the sand below to become solid chunks. She looked up and through stringy pieces of brown hair and blurry eyes she saw Jack, or who she assumed was Jack walking down the beach.

She gathered herself up and stumbled over to him, trying to relax enough to get words out. As she got closer she saw that Jack was carrying something, almost cradling it. Kate wiped her weary eyes with the back of her hand, and looked up to see he had Nike.

She dashed across the sand, scattering it everywhere, and when she got to him, he could barely utter a greeting before she tore Nike from his arms, and cuddled her close. He stared, unknowingly, an eyebrow arched and watched as Kate slowly regained herself.

When she did she gave him a hard punch to the shoulder, "What the hell did you think you were doing?" she asked angry placing her hand back on Nike's bottom to support her.

"Hey, I was trying to help," Jack yipped holding his slightly injured shoulder, "You were still sleeping and she was beginning to cry so I fed her and changed her for you, I was just going to get rid of the diaper," he stated.

"Oh," she replied and began to feel penitent, as she leaned her cheek against Nike's hair. She was now pulling on her earrings once again, "I'm sorry Jack," she apologized as she lightly touched the arm that she'd just pummeled, "It's just that no one's helped me take care of her for such a long time, and being in this place," she paused and sent him an almost forced smile, "it's kind of scary."

He sighed, he barely noticed but she was apologizing to him again, "Its okay Kate, I should've asked before I took her, I can imagine it couldn't have been comforting," he replied morosely, "It didn't hurt you did it?"

"Did what hurt me?" she asked as they began to slowly walk down the shore. The early morning breeze had kicked in and it was still chilly, but the way the colors danced across the sky, mingling together, there was an ambiance that implicated a beautiful day was before them.

"Did your heart hurt?" he questioned when they reached the spot that they'd slept at the previous night. Jack took off his backpack and pulled out a bottle of water, an apple and a granola bar, he handed them over to Kate after she had taken a seat.

"For breakfast," he explained as he plunked down into the sand beside her, sending fans of tiny grains in every direction.

"Thank you," she replied as they watched the waves scarcely make it to shore with a pathetic crash, "And yeah it did, vaguely," she replied looking at him.

He nodded but kept his lips pursed, he really didn't know what to say, he didn't know what was wrong with Kate, and he wouldn't be able to tell until he got his father's stethoscope. He knew he packed one when he traveled to Australia, he packed one when he went anywhere, just for show.

Kate looked away from him to down the beach, it was early morning, yet the population was dwindling, she could only see a few people waking around, to the cooler that was used for food and water, "Where is everyone?" she asked as she turned back.

"They all went to higher ground, Sayid got the transceiver working, but it can't receive a signal because the beach is too low of ground," Jack explained.

"Dude!" Someone hollered from down the beach, a large man was slowly making his way towards them. He was about six feet tall, but overweight. His frizzy hair blew in the wind, and his blue t-shirt was drenched with sweat, "Dude, you'd better go check on that guy with the hunk of plane sticking out of him," he suggested, "He's looking kinda dying."

"He's not going to die, but when I removed that piece of shrapnel, it put his system in a minor shock," Jack explained as he got up.

"You took it out?" Kate asked shocked, "I thought that you had to leave it in?" she asked as she rocked Nike.

"That was yesterday," he explained nonchalantly, "I thought he'd be at a hospital by now."

Kate watched him grimly as he walked away through the sand with the man who had come to get him. Kate sighed as the lids of her eyes became heavy suddenly, like a change in the air current caused it. It then came to her attention that she had yet to see Jack rest, or sleep for that matter. But he was after all a doctor, so if anyone was liable to make a professional choice when to rest, it was him.

_

* * *

Kate yawned exhaustedly as she made her way through the bar to the kitchen. The tray of glasses and dishes jingled as she barely held on to the sides. Her apron that she had put on at six in the morning was crinkled with worn wrinkles and stained with substances of all sorts. Her hair was messy and stringy, easily falling out of the weak bun she barely managed to tie after the club has closed._

_She had received the three am to three pm shift, so she arrived when the clubbers were still parting hardy, and stayed until the elderly women came in for their mid-morning tea. _

_Her head was swimming as she brought the dishes into the kitchen for Drac to wash up. It was now two pm, which was known as the slow hour, mainly because Willy didn't take many customers at the time, so that cleaning and cooking could be caught up with. _

_Her stomach churned as she set the tray of dishes down next to him on the counter, he too one look at her and gasped, "You look like three day old vomit," he announced, his dark eyes gleaming, as he continued to wash the plates in the sink. _

_Kate rolled her eyes at him, "And you look lovely yourself today Mr. Thundersrain," she countered sarcastically as she leaned against the counter, resting momentarily. _

_He smiled. She had become close with Willy, Beth and Drac in the past month and a half. She came to think of them as her family, Drac her brother, Beth her sister, and Willy her father. He was extremely overprotective of her, everything she seemed to do worried him, when he should be worrying about Beth. Not that she'd ever bring that to his attention, she learned growing up with Lindsay, that the last thing big sisters liked was a tattletale._

_"No really, you look sick," he replied as he hands disappeared under the sink full of soapy water, "You should take better care of yourself," he brought out a white porcelain dish and ran the clothe around it a few times. _

_Kate rolled her eyes, "I think I just got that stomach flu that's been going around," she enlightened as she took the dish he handed to her and began to dry it, "I got sick yesterday morning."_

_"There's no stomach flu going around," Drac declared as Beth came in with another tray full of plates, "Believe me if there was, Beth would have it, you sees more people then anybody," he smiled deviously as he made fun of her. _

_"Hey, shut up," she replied as she hopped up on the counter, "At least I get some regularly," she added with confidence, as she smacked the gum around in her mouth. _

_"A little too regularly," he stated with a superior chuckle. Beth scoffed and reached out a scrawny, boney hand and landed a slap right across Drac's back, hitting the lower part of one of his shoulders._

_He yelped and placed his hand on the tender area, rubbing it gently, "Kate, are you just going to let her do this to me?" he questioned wanting back up in facing the five foot six, hundred and five pound demon, "Kate?"_

_"I think I'm going to be sick," she announced and threw the towel she was using to dry dishes with onto the ground and stumble over the gleaming, ivory floor. Placing a hand to her stomach and one over her closed mouth. _

_"Honey, let me help," Beth called as she ran and grabbed Kate, holding her steady as they made their way to the kitchen door. Willy opened the door almost the exact same time as they moved to push it, he stumbled back, "What's the matter?" he asked frantically noticing the shape Kate was in. _

_"Kate's gotta up her chuck," Beth explained as they hurried past Willy who stood in the doorway watching them walk down the hallway, "You call me if you need me!" he hollered. _

_They forced open the bathroom door and Kate hardly made it to the stall before she got sick. After finishing Kate wiped her mouth and flushed the toilet, barely finding enough strength to move to sit on top of it. _

_"So what do you have?" Beth asked as she reapplied the orange and purple eye shadow that clashed with her red and black outfit. Her hair was pushed back by a headband, the sharply cut pieces jutting out the side of her head like a lion's mane. _

_"I don't know, maybe it was just something I ate," she stated as she placed her head in her hands. Her breath was slightly ragged, she detested getting sick, it always did a number on her system. _

_"Have you," Beth began as she looked away from the mirror and back to Kate who looked at her obliviously, "You know, had you visit from 'George' this month?" she questioned and then began applying the shade of plum lipstick she wore. _

_"What does that have to do with anything?" Kate questioned as she looked up from the floor suddenly. Her fingers began to play with a stray piece of hair, as she weaved it through them. _

_"Hmmm," Beth pursed her lips together, "I'm taking my break now, I have to go run some errands," she stated abruptly, though this was not out of the ordinary. Beth usually left anytime she pleased, for however long she felt was necessary, "I'll be back in five minutes okay, You think you can hold out until then?" she asked as she threw her gaudy purse over her shoulder. _

_"Umm…Yeah?" Kate was sure that this had nothing to do with her, but in that string Australian accent, she could her plan unfolding. _

_

* * *

Kate sat onto the porcelain seat, waiting for Beth to comeback. She slowly removed her hot feet from her sandals and placed then on the cool floor, she shivered and sighed relieved. _

_As she began to trace the indents in the tile, she heard the shrilling squeak of the unkempt bathroom door, and looked up to see Beth enter, her large over exaggerated purse over one shoulder, a bag from a nearby drug store over the other. _

_"Sorry it took me so long, Hon," Beth explained as grabbed the bag from the counter and moved over to Kate, "Willy caught me and the hallway and started bombarding me with questions about you, you've got him really worried, he said he was keeping the club closed until I figured out what was wrong with you and I said that would take approximately fifteen minutes," she speedily explained as she crouched in front of Kate. _

_"How do you know what's wrong?" she questioned with an arched eyebrow as she leaned back. _

_Beth smiled and pulled out five boxes from the bag, "I want you to do all of these," she explained and handed them to Kate. They were small in stature, but stacked up on one another, they were quite tall. _

_Kate looked down and studied the boxes, "What?" she almost shouted, "No Beth! No I'm not doing this," she refused and tried to get up from her seat but Beth forcibly pushed her back down. _

_"Is that because you already know the answer?" she asked deviously, as she popped her gum once again, "Because I think you already do." _

_"Beth, there's no way I'm pregnant," Kate countered and handed back the boxes to Beth. _

_"And how do you know that?" she questioned as she pushed the boxes back into Kate's hands. _

_"Because the last guy I slept with was almost two months ago," she admitted then immediately blushed a smidgen at her revelation. _

_"Kate, did 'George' visit you?" Beth asked again. _

_Kate rolled her eyes, "Beth this is ridicu…" _

_"Did he?" Beth pressured, Kate's eyes moved towards the tiles, in hopes to avoid Beth, and her questions. _

_"Kate, if you didn't get it, you're so pregnant," Beth explained and closed the stall, "just do them, and you'll see I'm right," she said arrogantly as she closed the stall door and hopped up on the counter to wait. _

* * *

"_This is so stupid, you're so stupid" Kate declared as she and Beth stared at the five strips of toilet paper placed on the counter to cover the tests as they determined the result, "I know I'm not," she added. _

_"You're not, or you don't want to be?" Beth asked back, gaining that smug smile she often wore. Sometimes Kate just felt like smacking it off her face. _

_"Girls?" Willy asked from the door with a light rap, "Girls can I come in." _

_"Yeah," Beth answered as she turned toward the door and popped her bright pink gum. _

_"Is everything okay?" he asked as he entered the room, his face glistened from sweat caused by concern, "What's going on if you don't mind me asking?" _

_"Kate's packing a kid," Beth announced, "I got her some pregnancy tests, we just have to wait two more minutes and we can see the results." _

_Kate's eyes grew wide with mortification, she instinctively punched Beth in the arm with quite a bit of strength, "You idiot." _

_"What?" Willy asked startled. He ran a hand through his thinning, white hair, "Kate…Are you… pregnant?"  
_

_"No, it's just what Beth thinks," Kate replied sending a stern look to Beth who just giggled, "This isn't funny Beth, you've got Willy worried to death, me going crazy…" _

_"Willy, she hasn't had her you know what in a month," Beth announced.  
_

_"Beth!" Kate cried and slapped her in the arm, "Just…Just shut up okay? You look much better with you mouth closed!" _

_"And you didn't think you weren't pregnant?" Willy asked with an angry sigh, "Jesus Kate, I thought you were the smart one…" _

_There was a very awkward and unwelcome silence as Willy stared her down disappointingly, unsure of what to do, until Beth called, "Time." _

_She slid off the counter and announced, "three out of five is considered a passing mark," and then proceeded on lifting up the covers, "What do I need to see on the first one?" _

_"A blue line," Kate muttered quietly as she flipped through the eclectic collection of instructions. Beth nodded and placed the cover over and moved to the next one, slowly lifting the cover._

"_A black dot," Kate answered before Beth could ask the question. Slowly she moved on to the last three tests, her exterior demeanor not expressing anything. _

_When she was finished, Beth turned around and faced Kate and Willy, who stood separated, Kate leaned against the wall by the mirror, and Willy never left the doorway._

"_So?" Willy asked after a moment of silence. Beth smiled showing off the pearly white teeth accented by her dark lipstick. _

"_You passed Kate," she finally divulged, "You passed with a five out of five." _

_Kate's heart froze in her chest as she just stared at Beth and her quirky smile. After a few moments Willy felt the need to speak up, "Do you know who the father is?" he asked stoically as Kate moved back into the stall to sit on the toilet. _

"_Yeah," she replied with tears in her eyes, as she placed her head in her hands, "My husband." _

_Willy and Beth quickly looked at each other then at Kate over the shocking revelation, "You're husband?" Beth questioned, "You have a husband, and you never felt the need to tell us!"_

"_I was married for a day, he was a police officer, and he died the day after our honeymoon. He got shot on duty, that's why I couldn't stand America anymore," she replied, "I just had to get away from there, everything reminded me of him," she lied straight through her teeth to the people she loved the most. _

"_Do you want to phone your family?" Willy asked as he bent down to her, placing a hand comfortingly on her shoulder, suddenly becoming understanding._

"_I can't," she replied as tears filled her eyes, "my mom and my dad are dead, so is my sister."_

"_Suddenly being your friend isn't that comforting right now," Beth stated. _

"_Beth," Willy hushed her, then turned back to Kate, who was in shambles, "Kate, Sweetie, do you want the baby?" she looked up at him and sniffled, "Because if you don't none of us will hold it against you." _

"_I want this baby more then anything in the world," Kate replied with tears, "I just don't think I can do it alone." _

"_Then you're going to have it, and we're going to be next to you every step of the way, from cravings to babysitting," he smiled as he tipped her chin and she laughed. _

"_I call godmother," Beth announced, as she unwrapped a sucker she seemingly pulled from nowhere and shoved it into her mouth. _

_Suddenly the bathroom door swung open and Drac marched in, "Alright I can't take it anymore," he hollered, "Even though this room is like a hell to me," he stated as he eyed the wall like he didn't trust the room, "What the hell is going on you guys?" _

_Kate wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, "I'm going to have a baby Drac," she announced, "I'm going to have a baby."_

_He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "Are you shitting me?" He questioned, "Because if you are…" _

_She giggled, "No, no, I really am," she assured._

_  
"So the bun's in the oven now?" he questioned skeptically._

"_Yes," she replied with a small smile. _

_He smiled and moved in to hug her, as the others did in the tiny cramped bathroom stall. Before he pulled away Drac managed to playfully say, "you ho, I always thought I'd be the first one to have a baby." _

_

* * *

"So how old is your daughter?" the man asked Jack, as he looked over the stitches that were implanted in the side of the Marshal. _

Jack chuckled; this was getting quite inculcating, "She's not my daughter, Hurley," Jack replied coolly and could almost mouth the words as Hurley expressed his surprise.

"Wow, so she's not your girlfriend?" he asked again. Jack pursed his lips to keep from smiling and shook his head. Hurley nodded in response, "Yeah she looked to young to be married anyways," he paused, "And hot, I mean there's no way any one guy should just get her, it's not fair."

Jack chuckled looked back down to the stitched wound and began to prod around it lightly, "So you're not going to have to like, you know, open him up again or anything?" Hurley asked him nervously rubbing the back of his neck, "Because last time I passed out."

"Yeah I remember," Jack replied, the image of poor Hurley falling and crushing the Marshal was still freshly imbedded in his mind, for a moment, he thought the Marshal would suffocate.

"Well if you don't need me or anything, this tent kinda freaks me out, and I'd rather be looking for medicine or something," he replied. Jack nodded in agreement and watched as Hurley slowly made his way across the sand.

Jack moved momentarily across the tent to a suitcase that he had filled with all the prescription medication he was given, and finally after a few moments of rifling, he found a fresh piece of gauze. He wasn't exactly sure what kind of people brought gauze on an airplane, but suddenly, they didn't seem so stupid.

He moved back to the Marshal, and vigilantly positioned the gauze securely in place. The Marshal groaned at the pain and Jack almost fell back, stunned.

"Sir?" He questioned leaning close to the Marshal, "Sir, can you hear me?" he asked.

In response the Marshal slid open his eyes to cracks and groaned a bit more, "Where is she?" he asked, his throat sounded rusty, like the springs of a bed when bounced on.

"Where is who?" Jack asked as he handed the man a bottle of water, who knocked it away and reached up, maliciously grabbing Jack by his shirt collar. He was still surprisingly strong.

"Where is she?" He demanded, his voice a low growl, his teeth gritting together.

"I don't know who you're talking about," Jack replied calmly, trying to get the Marshal to relax, "But you need to lie back down," he explained and gently pushed him back towards the ground.

"Look in my suit pocket," he demanded. Jack cocked an eyebrow at him curiously, wondering if he was having hallucinations from the high fever, "Look in my jacket pocket now!" he yelled again and Jack reluctantly rummaged through the contents of the pockets.

He pulled out a piece of white paper, so clean it almost acted as a light for the caves as it reflected the sun's vibrant rays. On the other side was a picture of a girl holding a black board with letters placed on it. Her name read 'Kate West', and Jack's heart stopped.

Sure enough, there was Kate, looking utterly despondent, her hair messy, her face tired, her spirit beaten. Jack silently wondered if this was some hoax, the picture seemed to be printed off a computer and didn't seem to be legitimate, but then again, there was a Marshal lying right before him.

"Don't trust her," he moaned, and then tumbled back into unconsciousness.

* * *

Kate's teeth sunk into the apple with a large crunch, and she smiled, trying hard to stop any of the juice from sliding down her face. She sat cross-legged beside Nike on the blanket Jack had laid out the night before. 

Nike looked up at her in awe and misunderstanding as she bit into the apple again. She whimpered a little and reached for the apple, "Gah!"

"Sweetie, you can't have the apple, you can't digest it," Kate explained simply, but of course Nike didn't understand.

"Am I interrupting something?" Kate looked up to see Sayid smiling at them, as she tried to calm her daughter down.

"No nothing at all," Kate explained as she moved Nike into her lap, "Did you get the transceiver working?" she questioned optimistically.

Sayid sighed, then bent down on his knees so he was eye level with her, in a very low, serious voice he spoke, "We did, but the battery ran out. But we heard another transmission being played off the island," he disclosed, "A French woman voice was repeating the same message, asking for help. But by the iterations, I calculated that she'd been on the island for sixteen years."

Kate looked at him, eyes wide in wonder, "She's been stuck here for sixteen years?" Kate finally questioned.

Sayid nodded his head morosely, "But you cannot tell anyone," he implored, "If we loose hope of being rescued, then what else have we got left?"

"Is there anything else?" she asked, sensing he needed more then he let on.

"Yes, actually," he began, "I'm trying to rebuild the transceiver, so if you have anything electronic that you'd be willing to donate, I'd very much appreciate it."

Kate brought over the baby bag that lay beside her in the sand and delved through it until she found what she was looking for, "Is this good?' she questioned as she took the CD out of the Discman and handed Sayid the electronic along with two pairs of earphones, "I have a camcorder to, but I'd like to keep that if you don't need it," she explained.

"No, this should be useful," He explained, "Thank you very much."

Kate nodded grimly, as Sayid forced a smile and left, beginning to initiate groups to certain jobs. She gently moved Nike off her lap and placed her head to her knees, just trying to relax momentarily until she had to come back to reality. She begged herself to remember the meditative exercises that Beth had taught her a few years back, but it had been awhile since she had found her calm spot.

She could hear her heart pounding away, like a jackhammer to a sidewalk or road that needed restructuring. Her head was swimming, moving her surroundings every which way. She also realized that she was tired, extremely tired.

She gently snaked an arm around Nike, and fell to her side, ensconcing the baby in her arms. Nike let out a coo, then settled in closer to Kate as she closed her eyes, she couldn't keep them focused on the form of her half-masticated apple.

* * *

"Kate?" someone questioned as they shook her. She moaned, she was tired, couldn't they tell that? "Kate?" they questioned again. 

"What?" She moaned as she sat up. Even little Nike began to whine about the intrusion on her sleep.

"We have to talk," she looked up and rubbed her eyes, Jack stood towering over her.

Kate stifled a yawn as best she could, and soothingly rubbed Nike's back in hopes of calming her down, "What is it?" she questioned a little peeved at the fact that he'd woken her up for seemingly nothing.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" he questioned as he sat down beside her. His eyes almost bore into hers, and she began to become jittery under his stare.

"About the French lady?" she questioned as she reached into her baby bag and pulled out a bottle of milk.

"No Charlie told me about that," Jack informed as he watched her vigorously shake the bottle.

She handed it to Nike, who snatched it and immediately began sucking out the contents. She turned around to Jack, and shrugged her shoulders innocently, "Then I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about this Kate," he explained as he handed her the piece of paper that was folded in quarters, miniscule smudges of sand lay in the crevasses.

She hesitantly opened the paper and her heart stopped. She sighed and put her hand to her head dejected, when Anthony wanted something, he stopped by no means to get it back.

"Jack, this isn't real," she expressed to him as she gave it back.

"Oh so some cop has a mug shot of you in his suit pocket for no reason," he asked sarcastically.

"Jack it's not like that," she tired to explain as she took the empty bottle from Nike, and placed it back into the baby bag.

"Were you the one in handcuffs on the plane, Kate?" he questioned bitterly, his face showed disbelief, over the fact that Kate was a convict, and that she was trying to deny it.

"Jack, I…"

"Were you the one in the handcuffs?" he asked sternly, raising his voice, but not enough so the others could hear.

She turned her gaze towards the ground and uttered a pathetic, "Yes."

Jack shook his head and laughed cynically, "Unbelievable," he announced as he got up to leave.

"Jack you don't understand, I left the United States for a reason," she revealed, "I was involved with this guy, he was an evil, heinous guy, Jack," she began to explain, praying Jack believed her, "He asked to much of me, so I left and went to Australia, I thought he'd just give up looking for me," she continued as she used the back of her hand to wipe the tears away, "But he didn't," he voice cracked, "He sent this guy, whoever he is, after me, and he made fake mug shots."

Jack stood, his hand covering his eyes, rubbing his temples gently. This whole mess, this whole island thing, was giving him one hell of a migraine. He looked back to Kate, who was patting the back of her giggling daughter, "I'm not a bad person, Jack," she declared.

He scoffed almost too smugly, "Kate when you're ready to tell me the truth, and not some made up garbage, I'll listen," he stated and began to walk away.

Kate sunk back into the sand, her body bruised, her spirit beaten, her heart broken. How come no matter how far she traveled to get away from Anthony, he always managed to find her in one form or another.

* * *

Holding up a silky, periwinkle dress Kate sighed in disapproval. It barely had spaghetti straps, and a weak lining of lace hung off the dangerously low-cut neck. She didn't know what disgusted her more, the fact that someone would wear skimpy clothes like this, or the fact that about two years ago, she would've been wearing this dress or some carbon copy just like it. 

She threw it into the useless pile and continued to fumble throw a suitcase of the so newly deceased, separating the useless from the convenient. Nike sat beside her in the soft sand playing with one of the stuffed animals Kate had managed to shove in her bag before they left Australia.

She found a bottle of iron pills, and sighed as she threw them into a pile of medications she was making for Jack. Just because he didn't care for her, didn't mean that other people should pay for their tiff.

"Well, well, well," a smug voice mocked; "Now the good Doc's got you doing his dirty work for him." Sawyer took out a cigarette and began to light it.

"Please don't smoke around my daughter," Kate asked angrily but politely, "I've been able to keep her out of public smoking places, and if she gets cancer from second hand smoke from you, I'll be pissed," Kate explained as she continued to separate the clothes.

"Easy Freckles," Sawyer put away his smoke in defeat, "You're just a little ball of fire today aren't you?"

"Why do you have to call me Freckles?" she asked, annoyed with him already.

Jack ambled away from checking on the Marshal. He'd gotten worse in the last few hours, and Jack knew there was barely anything he could do. What bugged him most was the fact that if he was at a hospital now, he could easily save the man's life.

He sighed with a pang of anger; maybe there was more medication in the luggage that had been stocked by the jungle's edge. The owners hadn't been located yet, and in his heart, Jack knew they would never be.

As he walked mindlessly out from a large piece of wreckage, almost into the open, he noticed that Kate and Sawyer were having a conversation. Well to him it looked more like an argument.

He decided it would be in his own best interest as well as hers, to avoid interrupting the disagreement. She might even go off at him, especially after their little fight that morning.

He was about to walk back when he began to overhear the conversation. Silently and stealthily he made his way back behind the protection of a large, shining metal piece of the plane and stood noiselessly and motionlessly, letting his ears take in every word.

"Because if I didn't call you Freckles, I'd have to call you T.M." he explained as he leaned against a tree casually. He reached his arms high above his head and stretched them along with his neck.

"T.M.?" Kate questioned as she looked up from the luggage, her face held disbelief at straightforward, yet annoying he was becoming.

"Teenage Momma," Sawyer replied with a smirk, showing off amazingly white teeth for a smoker.

Kate rolled her eyes, "I was twenty when she was born you idiot, I'm almost twenty-one now," she informed as she returned to organizing the clothes, not wishing to deal with the subject anymore.

"The way I see it," Sawyer began gaining a superior look to his face, "You're almost twenty-one now, mean you were almost twenty a year ago. She can't be older then six months," He announced pointing to her daughter, "meaning that you were pregnant when you were nineteen, making you a teenage momma," he clarified with a haughty smirk.

Kate sighed in frustration, "Well if it makes you feel any better, I was married," she almost whispered, her words were muffled by the tears she was working exhaustedly to detain.

Jack's eyes grew wide; he'd never thought that Kate had been married. He thought she had just gotten herself stuck in an accidental situation.

"Almost as in, 'not now'?" Sawyer questioned as he cupped his hands together and placed them behind his head, curving his back directly with the tree.

Kate didn't reply, her torn eyes scanned the soft, powdered sand, and the small pieces of debris that lay within. Her face kept the look it always seemed to have, she managed to keep it incognito most of the time, but Jack had learned that overemotional situations made it stick out like a sore thumb.

It was that look like she was to blame for all the faults of the world. That somehow she caused them all, and was now paying some drudgery penance, almost as if the weight of the world was on her back.

"Well, I do hear that teenage marriages don't last that long," he stated with a jab of stinging sarcasm.

Kate's mouth hung agape momentarily as she took the time to collect herself. She calmly rose from her spot, her fists clenched, but her face still hurt like she was burning from the inside out. Sawyer watched her smugly, as did Nike, she sensed that something had happened, and reached up to be held.

Kate bent down and picked her up, along with the tiny stuffed polar bear and handed it to her. "My husband's dead you asshole," she finally broke the dawdling silence. And though her words were full of apathy and bitterness, tears still managed to huddle in her eyes, "He died saving my life," she replied as she turned on the spot and marched away from Sawyer who stood dumbfounded in the sand.

She continued to gait irritably, and strode right past Jack, not paying him any attention as she struggled to keep the tears out of her eyes. He wanted to chase after her, but he would probably add gasoline to the fire, rather then water.

He released a vexed huff, and began to walk over to Sawyer, "You just had to go to far, didn't you?" Jack questioned, shaking his head in disappointment as he picked up the surfeit of medications that Kate had managed to find.

"You shouldn't be talking Jacko," Sawyer divulged as he lit another cigarette, "I saw you guys fighting earlier today, looks like you hurt her more then I just did, and I was really trying," he disclosed as he took a long puff from his cigarette, then blew into the air a long stream of smoke that soon grew invisible with the winds.

Jack didn't speak as he placed more of the medication into the bag he'd brought along, "So what was that about anyways?" Sawyer questioned with a smirk, "What'd she do that pissed you off?"

"Nothing," Jack replied as he finished shoving his bag full.

"Really, because that was a whole lot of angry actions for a whole lot of nothing," Sawyer replied as he threw his cigarette into the sand.

"Just leave her alone Sawyer," Jack told him as he turned to go back and help the marshal out, things weren't looking to good with him.

"My, aren't we mighty hypocritical today," Sawyer pestered as he walked in the opposite direction.

* * *

Jack sighed; he hoped that they would be rescued soon, because he didn't know how long he could deal with all these people. Since he was the one who stepped up at the beginning of this giant mess, everyone seemed to look to him for answers, and he didn't have most of them, hell he didn't have any of them. 

As he paced closer to the tent where the Marshal was resting, he heard Nike cry and rustling around within. He quickly pulled back the crinkled blue tarp that wavered in the wafting wind.

He pulled it back and was shocked to see the Marshal, vivacious and wide awake, with his strong hands wrapped around Kate's neck. Her face was contorted in pain, and she grimaced, gasping for air.

Nike sat beside her on the ground howling, while watching the disgusting attack before her. Balling her fists she shook them up and down, her face became wrinkled and cherry in color.

Swiftly, Jack moved in and tried to separate the two. Kate's hands painfully gripped the Marshal's wrists, her nails digging in deep trying to get him to release his grip, but he didn't even drop one finger on his harsh hold.

Jack tried to pry his hands, but they were clamped so hard around the soft skin of her neck, that it had already been bruised, his hold was almost magnetic.

Seeing no other option Jack grimly jabbed his thumb into the Marshal's recently stitched side, not hard enough to break the tedious stitches, but hard enough so the Marshal could feel an immense pang of pain.

He gasped and instantly released Kate who crumbled to the ground. Nike's crying a simmered to a deep whimper as she watched the motionless figure of her mother, the gasping form of the Marshal, and the overwhelmed outline of Jack.

He didn't know who to help first, the Marshal seemed to be choking on his own saliva, and he could barely see the rise and fall of Kate's idol figure. Grabbing a bottle of water, he quickly moved to the other side of the Marshal, giving him the water.

He looked to the side and saw that Nike's gray eyes were glued to him, she whimpered slightly with every inhalation, but watched his every move, like she was enthralled.

He lifted her gently under the arms and moved over to Kate who lay still on her stomach. One of her arms stretched out, while the other was completely bent. Placing Nike gently in his lap, he placed a hand on Kate's cool wrist, after finding a stable pulse; he turned her over on her back.

"What did you do Kate?" He questioned angrily, immediately placing the blame on her. She tried feebly to push herself up, but failed, "I didn't do anything," she whispered, her voice raspy.

"Kate," he began to berate in a disbelieving tone, and then he realized his mistake. He was blaming Kate, giving her reason to have that somber face all the time. She could be telling the truth, about the Marshal, about everything, but then again he barley knew her, she could be some cold-hearted murderess. He sighed as he looked into her eyes; they'd lost the shimmer that had always held hope. Whatever he believed she was, he'd have to decide now.

He smiled, it was weak only touching the corners of his lips but it held warmth, "You always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," he informed as he helped her up gently. She began to waver a bit and he placed his hands on her forearm to steady her, she was cold and clammy to touch.

Once she had regained her steady head, he reached out and gently brushed the puffy skin of her neck, "You bruise to easily," he pointed out again as he cupped his hand around her neck.

Their eyes connected for a moment, and Jack quickly looked away, grabbing another water bottle that was near he handed it to Kate, "Everyone bruises when their choked," she enlightened as she took a small sip.

Jack smiled regretfully, "So why the sudden change of heart?" she questioned quietly as she screwed the cap back onto the bottle, "I thought I was a liar."

Jack opened his mouth to answer, but the Marshal chose to speak instead, "Where is Kate?" he demanded in a low growl seemingly recovered already.

Jack looked at Kate, she'd lost her look of sorrow for a brief moment, as it was consumed by a look of blind fear, Jack would've missed it if he hadn't been staring so intently.

"I want to talk to her," he disclosed, the cadence in his voice softened for a moment until he added, "Alone."

Jack shook his head as Kate picked up her baby from his lap. Nike wrapped an arm around Kate's neck, and then placed her fingers mindlessly in her mouth as she watched Jack move towards the Marshal.

"I'm not leaving you alone with her," Jack explained. The Marshal quickly disagreed with him, "She's dangerous," he began to try to persuade Jack, "she's the one who needs to be kept under watchful eye. She's being tried on three separate accounts back in America, she…"

"She's not the one who tried to strangle someone now is she?" he questioned raising an eyebrow as he turned to look to Kate who was cuddling Nike tight to her.

"I'm dying right?" he questioned with a sudden deep cough that seemed to rack his entire body. The wind blew the tarp open softly and as the light splashed across the Marshal's face, it could be lucidly seen that his pigment was ashen.

Jack looked to the sand and pursed his lips, "Yeah, you're going to die," he answered somberly.

"Well someone has to keep an eye on her after I do," he began then wheezed again, "she's dangerous, you don't know what she's done."

"I don't care," Jack answered, "From what I've seen she's a good person," he expressed as he left the Marshal's side to help Kate up. He gently took Nike from her and guided Kate outside the tent.

"That's all I need," he replied as he bent down to the Marshal. His face contorted into pain and grief. He raised his hands out and lunged for Nike, ready to do whatever it took to get his way.

Jack quickly moved to the side, falling back but quickly regaining himself and moving to his feet. Nike wrapped her arms around his neck in fear and began to cry, "Don't ever try that again," Jack threatened as he left the tent tenderly rubbing Nike's back as her little dress' ruffles blew in the wind.

Kate sat a few feet away in the sand; her hair gently blew back and forth as her eyes slipped closed, her hands were pressed into the grainy ground for support. Jack shuffled through the sand and sand beside her quietly, he moved to hand Nike back to her but she reluctantly shook her head, "Can you just hold her for a little while?" she questioned, her voice held sadness.

"Yeah sure," Jack replied surprised at her answer as he moved Nike back against him, she lay her head just on his shoulder, commencing to fall into sleep.

"I don't feel that good," she answered his unasked query. She slowly blinked and turned back to the ocean the sun was beginning to set, spreading an eclectic group of hues across the sky.

"Well you were just strangled," he answered. She chuckled at her misfortune, "I don't think that's it," she added sorrowfully, "I'm tired," she stated, the bags under her eyes already told that story, "And I'm dizzy, and my chest is starting to hurt again," she replied with a deep intake of air, then continued in a slightly frightened voice, "And I have no idea what's wrong with me," she stated.

"Kate," he began, "I'm sure it's nothing serious, probably some shock that your body is going through, it will go away in five days," he promised.

"And if it doesn't Jack?" she questioned, interested in his answer.

"Then I'm going to do anything in my power to make sure that you're okay," he guaranteed as he placed his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

She smiled, ridding herself of the fears that plagued her mind, "Thank you Jack, not just for this, but seeing me as a real person."

"Just take it easy," he changed the subject knowing that Kate would refuse not to thank him if he declined he did anything, "You're got an angel of a daughter to take care of," he replied placing the sleeping baby in her arms.

As he moved away her hand caught his, gripping it lightly in hers, "Jack I mean it," she replied. His eyes bore into hers and something clicked between the both of them, the sudden realization of the feels they both had became apparent.

The image though was shattered quickly by a gunshot that broke the serene silence of the island. Kate leaned over and looked to where the noise came from as Jack quickly stumbled to his feet and ran to where the Marshal's tent was.

Inside his body lay, a gun in his hand and blood slowly oozing from the bullet wound on the front of his head. His eyes were open and shocked, pupils dilated, as his pale skin turned even whiter.

Jack entered immediately moved down to check his pulse. When he found none, he sighed angrily and muttered a curse word. The blood from his head had splattered all over the blue tarp and clumped into the sand.

Kate being concerned moved back the tarp and quickly turned around and covered Nike's eyes.

"Did he…"

"Yeah," Jack replied solemnly as he placed a blanket over the Marshal's body and got up, moving outside the tent.

A crowd was gathering, everyone interested in the gunshot they'd heard, and proud to have pinpointed the source.

"What's going on Dude?" Hurley asked casually as he eyed Kate and Jack.

Jack sighed and placed his hand on the back of his head, searching for the words, "The Marshal woke up, I told him the extent of his injuries," he began trying to put it in laymen's terms to explain it swiftly and effectively, "He took a gun from his ankle holster and shot himself."

Everyone stood dumbfounded in the sand for a moment, "He shot himself?" Hurley finally asked again.

Jack nodded in confirmation, and whispers could be heard throughout the crowd, "I don't want to die," a small boy cried as he held on to his dog, a golden lab.

"Walt," a man, obviously his father comforted, "Come on man; you're not going to die."

"But he died, and he was a police officer," Walt cried with panic, "I want to go home."

The crowd's voices began to rise and hysterics began to take place, people terrified about dying, or being eaten like the pilot, or dying from some disease.

"Hey," Jack called out, everyone slowly hushed and looked towards him, the dying sunlight framing him with an ethereal glow, "No one's going to die, okay?" he spoke carefully, "The Marshal, his wounds were to deep, I didn't have the right medication, and his fever made him loose sanity. He raved about things that didn't exist, he tried to attack Kate, so we left momentarily."

Everyone looked to Kate, and noticed the reddened irritation on her neck; they slowly seemed to calm down, realizing that it was the lack of sanity.

"Just take it easy," Jack placated, we've found more medication, so if another situation should arise, we'll be ready."

Almost synchronized everyone let out a sigh of relief, "Yeah and it's not like we're going to need it anyways," Hurley began, "The rescue party's coming any day now."

_Alright a few things to say before reviews. Firstly I'd just like to thank Oreata for making me my awesome DA account avatar  
Ethan: Dispointgustment rules!  
Secondly, I've placed a sort of plot timeline for 'Just Incase' on my MSN space. So check it out if you wanna  
Know what's going to happen or Want to make a comment/ask a question/ or make a suggestion (I love all three and I will get back to you), but remember its **SPOILERS **for the story. So don't go there if you don't wanna be spoiled (the link can be found in my profile)  
Lastly, this chapter is dedicated to Lisa, my Canary of 5 years who decided to pass away when I was in New York, and then when I went to go bury her I fell down the stairs. But she was a good bird! You're my bird Lisa! RIP Li-Li  
Ethan: (cries and hugs Shiggity) it'll be okay, Dave will die soon.  
Yeah that helps a lot… _

**Smilez4eva  
**_Hmm I haven't decided if Jack is married or not, probably not, because then his wife would've had to die or divorce or something, I dunno, so for right now I'm saying no. Glad you like it. _

**Pink Pinker  
**_This one took a pretty little snippet of time out of my life. Lol all I'm saying is I have a couple of big projects to finish before I can start the next chapter. _

**Gowland  
**_Hey thanks for checking out my site. I never put up a sneak peek this time, because nothing really appealed to me (other then the Sawyer/Kate fight, but that was written like 30 minutes ago…) But I put up kinda a plot timeline there now. It gives off spoilers!_

**FluteMarcher  
**_Lol I even continued it in this chapter (The Jack/Kate/Nike family thing). And I'm glad that there is some humor in it. Mostly in the flashbacks, or Charlie and Hurley parts. _

**Oreata  
**_Hey I'm going to publicly (Well almost publicly) Thank you for the awesome DA avatar you made me! THIS GIRL ROCKS! ;) Thanks again! _

**Trish  
**_I'm glad you love it (And that you dance) I miss the dance routines, but you know I'm not allowed to write about any song that isn't mine (New FF rules)  
Ethan: WHY GOD WHY! (burns dancing shoes) _

**Jackluver928  
**_Oh you'll see how good he is with Kids (especially this one) in the upcoming chapter. I'm sure it'll warm all Jack fans' hearts_

**Jerseygirl00320  
**_Hey glad you checked out my MSN space, and I'm slowly adding in more characters (Locke in the next chapter I promise, then Sun and Jin in around 6) _

**Lillyfan78  
**_Hey you took the time to review right? It's the least I can do to mention you! And I'm so not doing my homework yet. It's about 1:30am on Friday. I'm to tired to do anything really, lol, this of course is an acceptance. _

**SOCCERroxmysox**

_Sorry it took me so long to update, everything seemed to come at the exact same time and I was like WTF, but you know I tired really hard in all my spare time and managed to complete the chapter. _

**Diveprincess**

_Aww I'm someone's hero! Lol it reminds me of the comic book characters I came up with in grade like 7. Ahh good times  
Ethan: (pokes)  
What? Sorry, thanks for the review (and I will continue to try and keep being your hero) Shiggitygirl to the rescue  
Ethan: Ethanboy!_

**Rain1657  
**_Aww I'm glad you love it so much (And believe me I'm contemplating putting in some Leo stuff just for you ;) ) though I have no idea how I'll work it in, but you know I totally can if I put my mind to it. And this one is sooo long (this chapter) it's 20 pages, without reviews added…_

**CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88  
**_Though Jack and Kate seem to be on good terms here, in a few chapters, they'll both be going bitchcakes at each other. POG is on hold until the summer, because unlike this story (It's only having about 23-24 chapters (depends on how many shows they make), whilst POG is limitless. _

**Freckles-101**

_You thought that was interesting, wait until he disappears in the jungle and everyone's like WFT? And then the crap starts to hail and everything goes to hell (Because Jack isn't there) And since Locke is already out hunting someone else (You know who) has to find him… _

**October Sky  
**_Another is not a sequel to this, this is just kinda a 'what if' (that probably explains nothing unless you're an avid comic book reader)_

_Ethan: Nerd  
(Flips him off) anyways lol, Jack will find out about Anthony and Leo, and Lindsay, and Drac, Beth and Willy, and the Marshal, and the Brady Bunch. But it's in a much MUCH later chapter, I estimated about 12 or 13…  
And yes, the entire seasons shows will be masticated and spit out to my perfection, then preserved like a jam or jelly of sorts.  
And it's juts freaky about that Gio guy. My pal Aimee has a cat named Leo and it loves me and I like won't let it go… _

**Orlando-Crazy  
**_Sorry for the late update (I know I know) but it was like extremely late. _

**Miss Jasadin  
**_Lol that was an ALTERNATE ending, if you don't want him to die, never read past chapter 22 again… And no the only people I'm killing off are those who're axed in the show. _

**Lara Chubb of Deep Hollow**

_Lol I bought that magazine and my mom was like reading it in the store and she's like OMG look at Charlie and Sayid and Hurley and she was laughing so hard and everyone was looking at her, and my dad called her a loser. It was soo funny. (She (like me) has a very predominant laugh) _

**Whirlwind-2005**

_That part about Jack being told by Charlie…All for you ;) Nah don't worry about Shannon, I just usually portray her as nicer, but I'm making her a stone cold bitch in this one. _

**Holly  
**_Aww I'm glad you like my writing (People like you keep me writing) or else I'd just be like "Writing…PSSSSSH" lol. I hope the flashback was still cute (I dimmed down the cute, and turned up the foolish). _

**Next Chapter-** When it's realized that Kate is one of the few people on the island who can actually hunt, she enlists to help Locke and Michael bring back a boar, whilst Claire watches Nike. But when Nike disappears and the hunting group don't return, people start to panic.  
Ethan: DON DON DON! DON-NA!


	4. Lies

_Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in awhile. But I've been crowded with exams and summatives and more summatives and then some projects and well you get the point. But soon the magical place they call school will be closed for the summer and I can write when I'm not cleaning. Because I never catch a break.  
Ethan: I still have that maid outfit…  
And I'm very glad that so many of you like this story. I basically wrote all of it tonight and I have like laryngitis so please,  
Ethan: Pretty please  
Excuse any spelling errors this time, much obliged_

Just In Case (Thanks for the correction)

Chapter 4

Lies

The light had not yet broken and christened the morning, Nike lay on her back, swinging her arms and kicking her feet, as she screamed into the early morning. Kate sat beside her, her cool hand placed to her forehead; she couldn't fathom why her daughter was crying.

She had checked to see if her diaper needed changing, or if she needed to be fed, those were the two main reasons and neither seemed to causing Nike's tears. She apparently wasn't sleepy and her temperature was fine. Kate sighed; maybe the crash on the island was finally getting to Nike.

Kate picked her up gently and held her as she rubbed her back, "It's okay," she coaxed, "its okay." She silently prayed Nike would fall to sleep soon; she didn't want any other of the islanders waking up.

The crunching of footsteps in the sand however, told her differently, "You should be dressed in more then a tank top in this weather," A voice told from a few feet away.

Kate turned her head to see Jack smiling as he approached her and knelt down next to her, "A little early for you to be up isn't it?" he asked Nike as he took her hand. She still continued to bawl. He looked to Kate for an explanation.

"I don't know what's wrong with her," Kate admitted embarrassed, "She never used to cry like this back in Australia. I've been trying for a good half an hour to get her to stop."

"And the ensemble," Jack asked as he brought her airplane blanket over and placed it over her shoulders.

"I thought maybe she was hungry," she enlightened as she pulled the blanket around Nike and herself.

"I thought you pumped?" He asked then realization hit him, "Sorry it's none of my business," he added quickly.

"Don't worry about it, and I usually do, but sometimes she wants the bottle so she gets the bottle and sometime she wants the real thing so," Kate paused, "Sometimes it's anything to get her quiet for a bit."

Jack chuckled, "She a busy baby?"

"Not usually, but she has her moments," she added as she adjusted Nike against her chest, "I…" Kate sighed, "I just feel like a rotten mom, I don't even know what she wants."

"Kate it's not your fault," he told her as Nike began to cry louder, "All babies go through this phase," he explained.

Suddenly a sleeping body a few feet away grumbled and turned over, glaring at Kate, "Can't you get her to stop crying?" Shannon demanded.

"Shan, give her a break," Boone mumbled back as he turned over, lying face down against his pillow.

"I'm sorry," Kate replied with a weak smile as she and Jack turned around to look at Shannon, "I don't know what she wants."

"Well maybe, if you were…" Shannon was interrupted. A few feet away Walt's dog began to bark frantically at something in a piece of the wreckage.

"Walt, man," his dad muttered as he turned over, "You gotta keep that dog quiet."

Walt held on to the dog's leash as he began to bark ferociously at the fuselage. Nike became more agitated and began to cry harder.

"Argh!" Shannon cried as she turned face down in her pillow, to attempt to get a little sleep.

Others were now waking up and coming closer to the fuselage as sounds began to come out of it, "Who woke up the damn zoo?" Sawyer asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

Kate shot him a daggered look, but then turned her attention back to the fuselage, "What is it?" she questioned.

"Maybe it's that thing from the jungle," Claire suggested as he backed up a bit, smiling weakly at Charlie.

"I think the thing in the jungle is a lot bigger then that," Charlie stated with a gulp.

"Well whatever the hell it is, it can't be that bad," Sawyer declared as he bent down and picked up a piece of flotsam from the beach.

"We don't know what it is Sawyer," Jack reminded as he turned around.

"Yeah, it could be another polar bear," Charlie suggested, then immediately regretted it.

"Polar bear?" Claire questioned as she placed a hand on her stomach, "What do you mean polar bear?"

"Well the other day in the…"

Sawyer interrupted him, "We found a polar bear and I shot it," he boasted, "so it ain't a problem anymore," with that he brought back his arm to hurl the piece of metal at the fuselage.

"Sawyer, don't" Jack warned.

Sawyer scoffed then threw the projectile through the air as hard as he could. It hit the shiny white of the plane evident in the moonlight with a clang and immediately the noise stopped.

"It was probably just a rat or something," he sneered and then turned his back.

The sounds started again with excessive, angry grunting as the fuselage shook, "I don't think so," an elder man said, the cut on his face from the crash adding a sinister quality to his smile.

The wreckage shook as three large, hairy animals emerged. They were husky, and course haired. The tusks that grew from their snout, shone in the night light, but the reflection of their eyes, the eerie green-yellow color, was spine tingling.

"Oh man," Hurley announced, "its boar."

"So?" Charlie questioned happily, "At least it's not a bloody polar bear."

"No dude," Hurley began, "Haven't you ever seen the movie Hannibal?" Hurley asked, "The boars in that like eat peoples' faces."

Charlie's eyes grew wide as he went back to watching the boar carefully.

The boar paused momentarily and took in the group, just short fifty people crowding around them, with the screaming baby and took it as a threatening situation. One let out a glass shattering squeal and the rest began to charge.

"Run!" Jack shouted as hysteria broke out. He placed his hand on the small of Kate's back as they ran along with the other survivors. He didn't want her falling because of Nike, or because of her heart problem.

The boars were now terrorizing the camp back by the fuselage, kicking belongings around, rooting through bags, and even hoarding people around. Jack found a dip in another piece of wreckage, only a few feet wide, but it could serve as cover from the boars.

He pointed it out to Kate, whom he let in first, then moved in himself, staying by the opening. The confined space mixed with Nike's crying was not the best of atmospheres, but at least they were somewhat safe here.

Jack peeked his head out, to see the boars ripping up some blankets, and tossing about suitcases. "I think we're safe for a bit," Jack pointed out, as he turned to Kate, who wasn't in good shape.

The vigorous running from the boar had left her almost wheezing for breath once again. Nike was crying and clinging on to her harder, but she was slowly becoming weaker as Nike slid down her hips.

"Kate, sit down," he told her as he helped her to the ground of the confines. He moved a hand to her shoulder, "Just relax."

"I can't relax," she told him, "my baby," she paused trying to breath, "is crying and…I don't even know why," she reminded irritably with labored breaths.

"Hey, hey, hey," he told her as he placed a hand on her cheek, "It's okay," he told her calmly, and before she could tell him it wasn't he continued to speak, "You said she never cried like this back in Australia, what did you do to make her stop crying?"

"I used to just give her to one of my friends, to see if one of them could make her laugh," she answered, her breathing slowing down a bit.

"Well give her to me, maybe I can quiet her down," he suggested. She looked at him skeptically, "Come on Kate, its worth a try," this still didn't seem to persuade her, "I'm a doctor," he reminded.

"You've used that line to get a lot of stuff you've wanted in life, haven't you?" she questioned as she carefully handed him her daughter.

He chuckled, "It has its perks," he informed as he looked down at the screaming baby, "What's the matter?" he asked her softly.

Kate stifled her laughter, by bringing her hand up to her face, "You're supposed to be relaxing," Jack reminded sternly.

"Sorry," she apologized, but kept her smile as she watched Jack.

"What's the matter?" he asked again, and amazingly, her crying quieted down a bit, "Is the island getting to you?" Her crying hushed a little more, "Do you miss all the people that loved you back in Sydney?" he questioned as he reached down and slipped his thumb into her hand. Her crying stopped as she looked at Jack with her gray eyes, waiting for him to say more to her.

Instead he brought her to his shoulder and began patting her back gently. Slowly her eyes closed and Nike drifted into a light slumber.

Kate smiled, "You did it," she moved closer to him, "You managed to calm her down, and get me over another heart malfunction," she stated, clearly impressed, "You're amazing."

Jack chuckled as he handed her sleeping baby back to her, "Hardly, you're the one who's been doing this by yourself for the last while," he reminded, "it's a hard job."

"Well we all can't be doctors," she answered with a smile as she rubbed Nike's back.

Jack reached and took her hand in his, "No, Kate. Really," he told her seriously.

She grinned even wider, eliciting a grin from him as well. There eyes met and captured each other, as they seemed to do more frequently now. Both knew what their lingering presence around each other meant, but neither was open-minded enough to admit it.

A lazy boar scampered by, sideswiping the fuselage bringing Jack and Kate's attention back to the present life. "They're all gone," a man announced, "Everyone can come out now."

Jack looked to outside, then back to Kate, who smiled feebly. He stepped out slowly and reached back in to help her out. Everyone was gingerly coming out of their hiding spot, all looking to the old man who had chased away the boar.

"What the hell just bloody happened?" Charlie asked exasperated as he puffed out of his spot, "They bloody chased me for a good five minutes."

"Those were boar piglets," the man announced, "They've come to feed on the carcasses," almost everyone in the crowd involuntarily winced, "Which is a Godsend because we needed a new source of food."

"What?" Shannon asked shocked, "We're going to eat boar?"

"Well, Mr.?" Sayid began.

"Locke," the man replied with a smile, "The names Locke."

"Mr. Locke is right, we've almost dwindled down to the last of our food supply," he announced, everyone stood silent, "I know there is various kinds of fruit on this island, and fish may be available if we can find a suitable mode for capturing them, but we need a steady source of protein, and boar seems to be that."

"Yeah, well how are supposed to kill one, even it we catch one?" Sawyer asked as he lit up a cigarette.

"With these," Locke explained as he reached down to a case beside him, he opened it and revealed the ten some odd knives that were inside.

"How did you get those on the plane?" Boone asked half astonished, half petrified.

"I checked them," he divulged, "Now if it's okay with everyone, I'd like to take out a party of people tomorrow to go hunt for a boar, I know how to track one, but it's unsafe for juts one person to go out there alone. It takes about three people to effectively take one down."

"What are you getting at?" Sayid asked.

"What I'm getting at is, is there anyone on this island who has substantial, if any, hunting experience?" Locke asked.

A hush fell over the crowd, for a moment only the rough lapping of the waves could be heard, "Anyone at all?" he questioned again.

After a moment of silence someone spoke up, "I do," Michael said from where he was standing by Walt, "My dad taught me how to hunt geese once when I was a kid."

"Alright, that should be suffice," Locke nodded in acceptance, "Anyone else with even a shred of hunting experience?"

Kate sighed, "I do," she said quietly, but the crowd was so silent, that she could be heard clearly.

"What?" Jack, Sawyer, and Locke almost expressed in unison.

"I have hunting experience," she articulated, as Nike cooed and turned her head on Kate's shoulder to look at everyone staring at them.

"What sorts of hunting experience?" Locke questioned skeptically.

"I used to go out with my dad nearly every weekend for hunting trips," she disclosed, "I've tracked dear for miles, rabbits, foxes, basically anything that was in season," She explained.

"You?" Sawyer asked doubtfully.

"Yeah," she replied with a steady nod of her head.

"You hunted animals?" he asked again just to clarify.

"Yes," She replied exasperated, "I had a life before I had a kid you know."

"Not a very long one," Sawyer muttered as he turned away.

Both Jack and Kate were about to say some unkind words, but Locke had the opportunity to speak first, "Would you be willing to go out hunting with us?"

She looked to Nike then back to Locke, "I suppose, I mean if someone will watch her," she agreed.

"I'll watch her again," Claire offered, "I need all the practice I can get, plus Jack won't be far off will you?" she added with a hidden agenda behind her words.

"Huh?" Jack asked mindlessly, he was still thinking about the thought of Kate wandering around the jungle searching for boar.

"We'll leave around noon tomorrow," Locke announced, "I suggest you get lots of sleep."

Kate nodded firmly and Michael gave a groggy answer, after the boar chase everyone finally seemed to be realizing how late it actually was. The group slowly seemed to split up and move back to their own sleeping areas.

Kate blinked her eyes, almost keeping them closed for too long. She'd been having a lot of sleepless night lately, even before the island. Turning around to walk back to her spot on the beach she felt a warm hand cup her vacant shoulder.

She looked to her side and saw Jack ambling along with her in the sand, "You're really going to go out there tomorrow?" he checked, his voice questioning her decision.

"Why, do you think it's bad to leave Nike again?" she asked, fearing he thought of her as a poor mother.

"No, I think it's dangerous for you to go into the woods, with two guys we don't even know, one with a suitcase full of knives, to go and hunt boar, when you get breathless from running," he declared, he was strongly against her going into the jungle for anything.

Their feet dug through the light sand, flicking grains of it in every which way until they came to Kate's area. She bent down slowly and gently placed Nike on to the blanket on her back, then pulled another blanket over her.

"Jack," she sighed quietly as she turned to him, "I'll be fine."

He almost blew a raspberry. That had to be the biggest lie he'd ever heard. Kate could tell that he didn't believe her, "Really, I'll be fine, we're only going out for an hour, two at the most," she explained, "that's how long it usually takes to track boar."

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" he asked as he shared her smile.

"We all can't be spinal surgeon pilots," she replied jokingly as she walked a few feet and picked up a blanket that the boars had rampaged over.

"Hey, to be completely fair, I never got my license okay," he divulged, "I could never land the plane properly."

"Well I never quite got the hang of driving yet," she revealed, "Which is okay, because I can't afford a car anyways." She placed the blanket down on the sand, "I should be heading to sleep."

"Yeah," he agreed quietly, "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow before you head out," he stated as he began to walk away.

Kate rolled her eyes, "Alright, if I promise to see you as soon as I come back tomorrow, will it make you feel any better?" she questioned.

"Not really," he answered with a shake of his head.

"Well it doesn't matter, as soon as I come back tomorrow, I'll hunt you down and show you that I'm okay," she told him, "I promise."

* * *

"You shouldn't be so worried about her," Charlie advised as he came up behind Jack. To the untrained eye he was kneeling in the sand fumbling through the medical supplies they had, trying to arrange then in some order.

What he was really doing was watching Kate and Nike down a few yards on the beach. Kate had her legs in the gentle, foamy surf that lapped lazily against the shore. She was tenderly holding Nike up, helping her stand, and grinned as the near six-month old broke out into a fit of joy when the water touched her tiny feet.

"Jack?" Charlie asked once again, this time taking his hands out of his pockets and crouching down next to Jack.

"Huh?" he asked dazedly as he reluctantly took his eyes off of Kate, as he turned to Charlie, who squinted his eyes while giving a bemused look. There was no way sorting anything could be that interesting.

He looked pass the suitcase Jack was packing the drugs in and saw Kate and Nike in the surf, "Man, you got hit bad," Charlie replied with a light chuckle and a shake of his head.

"What?" Jack questioned befuddled. Charlie pointed at Kate down the beach and Jack smiled innocently, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Charlie almost burst out laughing, "Now that has to be the clearest lie I've ever heard," he stated as he wiped the tears building in his eyes from laughing, "You're so hooked on her,"

"I'm not," Jack denied seriously, as he began to place more medication into the suitcase.

"Oh come on, everyone can see it," Charlie replied as he handed Jack an aspirin bottle he'd almost sat on.

"What?" Jack asked quickly dropping the bottle he had. Charlie noticed this and bit his lip to conceal a grin while Jack picked the bottle up, trying to act suave and dismiss his surprise.

"Really, I think almost everyone on the beach sees it," he explained and watched as Jack's eyes got wide, "The thing that really gets us it why you two refuse to see it."

Jack chuckled, "I'm sure everyone on the beach thinks that Charlie," Jack chuckled as he finished packaging up the pain killers, "Or maybe you just have a little too much time on your hands," he added with a sly smile.

"Oh, so you don't believe me," Charlie smiled impishly and his eyes shot to Kate, and then to Hurley who was washing off a shirt in the ocean, "I'll prove it to you then."

Jack sighed, "Alright I…"

"Hey Hurley!" Charlie had cupped his hands over his mouth and was yelling from where Jack and himself were situated. Jack covered his eyes with his hand and was silently glad that even with his big mouth, Kate couldn't hear him, or was acting like she couldn't.

"Yeah Dude?" He answered back. He stood up and turned to face Jack and Charlie who were a few yards away while he wrung the extra water from his shirt.

"Can we play a quick game?" Charlie asked. Hurley gave him a perplexed expression so he added, "Just to help prove a point."

"Yeah, sure," he replied.

"Alright, I'm going to ask you three questions, you've have to tell me the first word that comes to your mind, okay?" Charlie instructed

"Okay," Hurley agreed.

"Okay, cartoons," Charlie gave the first word.

"The Simpsons," Hurley yelled back.

"Okay, Star Wars," Charlie gave the second word.

"That 'Koo Ker' sound Vader makes," Hurley hollered back.

"Alright, last one. Jack and Kate," Charlie yelled. Jack almost fell into the sand. He was just glad that nobody including Kate had heard him.

"Love," Hurley shouted as he began to walk over to Charlie and Jack, "Is your point proven?"

"We don't love each other," Jack expressed almost angrily.

"Yeah, okay, except that you totally do, Dude," Hurley replied, then bent down to see what Jack was staring at, "See look, you're even like stalk watching her now."

"I'm not," Jack replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, okay," Hurley sighed as he turned and began to walk away down the beach.

"I don't," Jack strictly informed Charlie.

"Alright, I get it," he replied as he stood up and dusted clumps of sand off his pants, "But let's just say for a moment that you did," he began but got a deadly glare from Jack, "Just for fun," Charlie stated placing his hands up in a surrendering position, "She only met you a few days ago, so don't go trying to round a square."

"Don't try to what?" Jack asked, as he finished packing the last section of medication.

"Don't go trying to make a square into a circle. I mean she can obviously take care of herself and her daughter without much help, so don't try and shall we say 'tame' her," Charlie replied as he started to walk away, then he stopped for a moment, "And not that any of us mind," he began, "But she's not going to burst into flames if you're not watching her every single minute of the day."

* * *

"Mommy has to go out in the woods to get some piggies," Kate told Nike as she neared Claire who was waiting with a friendly smile gracing her face, "I'll be back in two hours," she promised as she kissed her daughters cheek, "Now you be good for Claire."

"You have nothing to worry about, I'm sure she'll be an absolute angel, she was last time," Claire reminded as she took Nike from Kate.

Kate smiled, "Yep, I'm sure she'll be fine," she agreed with a hesitant nod of her head.

"Kate, are you ready?" Locke called from a few meters away on the beach. He and Michael already had their packs and knives ready.

"Whoops," Kate smiled, "Mommy got to go," she told Nike then blew a kiss as she began to walk towards Locke and then into the jungle.

Jack was watching the whole thing from in between the crack in the blue tarp blowing in the wind in his ramshackle tent.

"Did she go?" Charlie asked from the doorway as he passed it, knowing Jack was watching her every move.

"Yep," Jack replied, not caring a shred of what smart-alecky comment he was going to respond with. He still didn't like the idea of Kate in a jungle, especially with Locke. Something just seemed off about him.

To Jack's surprise Charlie didn't give him any sass, instead he seemed to almost offer condolences, and a quick reminder not to worry, because Kate could obviously take care of herself.

After he heard Charlie's sandy steps descending away from him, Jack muttered, "I just hope she doesn't burst into flames."

* * *

The verdant undergrowth was becoming overly tricky to walk through, but Locke had been persistent on this being the direction of the boars' headquarters. The afternoon sun hung high in the sky, like the examining light over a dentist's chair. It was effectively heating up the jungle consistently.

"You're son is taking this awful well," Kate finally broke the dawdling silence between the three of them, Locke hadn't been much for words and the stillness was driving her crazy.

Locke was a few feet ahead of them, so she didn't see when a small, almost superior smirk came to his face, "Yeah, Walt's a pretty tough kid, he's been through a lot lately," Michael divulged.

"Oh," Kate replied, not wanting to ask for details in fear of being nosey.

"Yeah, his mom died a few weeks before the plane crash. He lived in Australia and I lived in the United States, I haven't seen him since he was a little kid," he revealed more about his shadowed past.

"Well at least he has you now," Kate's answer was hopelessly optimistic.

"Yeah, I'm very proud of him too," Michael declared seemingly from nowhere, but the impressed smile on his face, told Kate this had been some sort of revelation. She glanced over and sent a smile while still walking.

"Well what about you?" he questioned feeling arrogant for talking only of himself, "What were you doing in Australia?"

"My daughter and I lived in Australia," she informed as she stepped over a large branch which had fallen off one of the trees during one of the frequent storms.

"You lived in Australia, as in, you don't anymore?" he questioned.

"Well my current residence is some island," she reminded, then with a giggle replied, "I was on the plane to go visit an aunt in California."

"Oh," Michael said with an understanding nod, "Is that where you're originally from? I mean you don't have an accent or anything."

"No I'm originally from Cana…" She stopped suddenly because Locke's relentless walk had seemingly come to a halt.

He brought up his hand and pointed to the few yards of thick bushes before them, rustling could be heard from a few feet away, along with the occasional low snort.

He moved his hands gracefully through the air, directing Kate one way and Michael the other. Kate was quite familiar with the gestures, her dad had used them all the time, but to Michael it was a whole other language.

"Man, I don't understand anything you're doing," he whispered quietly, "the only signal we used for goose hunting was a thumbs up after the birds were shot," he elaborated.

Before Locke had a chance to hush him, one of the boars that had the opportunity of visiting the beached survivors noticed the highly unwelcome guests and let out one of its high pitched shriek. It began to tear through the bushes rapidly; it was heading right towards them.

A few seconds before the boar would've rammed into Kate's legs, Locke pushed her hastily out of the way and into the underbrush. The shove was a little harder then expected and so unanticipated that Kate didn't have time to get her hands up to stop the fall. She hit the ground quick and hard, and only felt a pang of face in her cheek, and a dagger in her chest before everything went black.

* * *

"Peanut butter? Really?" Charlie asked again.

"Yes, I'm the only Australian who loves peanut butter. I used to have it everyday as a kid," Claire explained as she looked up from writing in her journal.

"How could you not get sick of it?" he questioned with disbelief and almost disgust, peanut butter in his books was pretty grotesque.

"I could never get sick of peanut butter," she announced, "I'd give anything to just shoved my hand in a jar and…"

"Yuck!" Charlie crinkled his nose in repulsion and stuck out his tongue, "It is true what they say about pregnant woman and their cravings then," he wondered out loud.

She laughed in skepticism, "It's not a weird craving, millions of people, probably billions eat peanut butter each day."

"And it's disgusting!" he replied still trying to get her to agree with him.

"And toffee and cream isn't?" she asked sticking out her tongue to prove her point.

"Mmm, it's delicious," he rubbed his stomach to exaggerate his point, with a large smile on his face.

"It's fattening," she reminded as she placed her journal down on the blanket next to her.

"You're pregnant, you don't need to worry about weight," he informed as he brought his knees up and draped his hands over them, the masking tape on them read, L-A-T-E.

"No, I still have to watch my weight, I put on a pretty pound with this little bugger," she pointed to her stomach, "and I was mediocre to start with," she replied thinking of her old body, she was skinny, but she could've been skinner.

"I bet you looked just fine," he replied with a cheeky smile, "And you don't need to worry about weight," he added quickly hoping to have the last say.

"No, I'm sure Kate didn't have to worry about weight," she disclosed, "I'm still amazed at how skinny she is for having a six-month-old."

"Skinny?" Charlie chuckled, "The girl's almost not there, she's like an ex-Kate."

Claire giggled, "Oh what time is it?" she asked suddenly, reaching into Kate's tote bag and bringing out a bottle of milk, "I'm supposed to feed Nike at two if Kate isn't back yet."

"It's 2:10 Love," Charlie announced, "You'd better feed the hungry little tike."

"Yep," Claire agreed then turned to get Nike, "Sweetie, it's time for you bott… Charlie she's not there."

"What?" Charlie asked jumping up from his spot in the sand, and running to get a better look of the space where Nike was lying for a nap.

"She's not there!" Claire replied a little more shaken, her heart pounding, "Where did she go?"

"I don't know love," Charlie ran a hand through his hair, "I have no clue she was here a few minutes ago."

"Great, now not only is she hungry, she's lost," Claire exclaimed as she pushed herself to get up from the blanket.

"Take it easy, she couldn't have gotten that far, Kate told me she was just learned how to scoot around," Charlie explained as he helped steady Claire.

"Charlie look," she pointed to the tiny marks in the sand leading away from the blanket, "She crawled away."

Neither said anything, instead they quickly followed the path of scrapes in the sand, until they stopped abruptly around twenty or thirty feet from where Claire was sitting.

"Well what do we do now?" Charlie asked looking at the dead end.

Claire gulped, "We have to tell Jack," she enlightened.

"Bloody hell," Charlie huffed.

* * *

"_What are you doing up here?" Beth asked as she elegantly stepped across the roof of the club, using her tip toes for added effect. Beth had told Kate that in a previous life, she was a ballerina. _

"_Thinking," Kate replied as she wrapped her hands around the cup of tea she was drinking._

"_Uh huh, are you thinking, or are you musing?" Beth questioned as she took a seat next to Kate on the concrete lip of the roof. Their legs dangled over the three stories to the alleyway below that was decorated with graffiti from various gangs of the area. _

"_Musing," Kate replied with slight smile, it was a calm summer night, the traffic wasn't too bad, and the stars could easily be seen and sought after for comfort. _

"_About who the hell the Ghetto Kings are and why they feel the need to deface Willy's property?" Beth asked as she reached into a hidden pocket in her jacket and pulled out a stick of bubblegum. _

"_What?" Kate asked with a smile. Beth pointed in the direction of the massive graffiti mark that had been made on the wall over the dumpster. The words 'Ghetto Kings' were colored using almost an infinite amount of color, and it almost shone in the night. A crown accompanied the word kings symbolically._

_Kate chuckled, "No."_

"_Hmm, about babies then?" Beth asked as she blew a large bubble almost bigger then her head, then sucked it all back in her mouth before it popped. _

"_Yeah, about babies," Kate replied._

"_Any baby in particular or…" Kate cut her off with an icy glare, "I'm guessin' your baby." _

"_That'd be a good gamble," Kate agreed as she took another sip of her tea. _

"_I thought you wanted it?" Beth questioned, the glitter on her eyes looked like clusters of stars in the light of the full moon. _

"_I do want it," Kate responded, a smile played at the corners of her lips, "But I don't think I'm ready." _

"_Well what gives you that idea?" _

"_Do you want to know what I have in my fridge? A half a gallon of orange juice and a box of Poptarts," she divulged angrily, "I barely know how to take care of myself, and now another life has fallen into my hands." _

"_Wow," Beth replied astonished, "you keep your Poptarts in the fridge?" _

"_Beth…" Kate rolled her eyes. _

"_No really, what's up with that?" she asked with a sassy smile. _

"_You're about as useful as a silent car alarm," Kate replied harshly._

_Beth let out an over exaggerated sigh, "You know that Drac and I will be here to help you whenever you need it. It's not like he has a life, and I don't sleep. And Willy will give you anything he can." _

"_But I wanted to do this as much as I could on my own," Kate informed, "No offense." _

"_Well you know the saying, 'it takes a village to raise a child'." _

"_Yeah and that child usually ends up the village idiot," Kate retorted sarcastically. _

"_Don't be stupid, we'd never give it your job," She countered with a grin. _

"_Alright, I'm leaving," Kate informed as she began to stand._

"_Oh don't cry Princess, I'm sorry," Beth apologized. _

_Kate let out an exasperated sigh and sat back down on the ledge. For a moment only the sounds of traffic could be heard until Kate noticed Beth's muffled giggles. _

"_What's so funny?" Kate asked turning to Beth, knowing she probably didn't want to know the answer. _

"_I was just thinking," Beth answered nonchalantly. _

"_About…" Kate questioned. _

"_What if you have twins?" Beth announced elated._

"_Goodnight Beth," Kate told her as she got up and made her way towards the door going downstairs. _

"_Oh my gawd! What about triplets!" She keeled over with a fit of laughter and giggles, "Now that is irony," she added when she was calm enough to speak, "That would just be a kick in the ass." _

* * *

"Kate?" a voice called to her, "Kate, you have to wake up," her eyes fluttered weakly and her chest burned when she breathed, and why was her face wet?

When she opened her eyes she saw Michael looking down upon her, he threw up his arms and released a sigh of relief, "Thank God," he praised.

"What happened?" she asked feebly as he helped her sit up.

"The boar charged at us, Locke pushed you out of the way, and ten dove but I didn't move quick enough. The boar basically gored my leg," he explained quickly, "And you've been passed out for the last fifteen minutes," he told her, "Which is why we have to get back to camp."

"Where'd Locke go?" she questioned as she leaned over to gauge the seriousness of Michael's wound.

"He left to get the boar," Michael told him abruptly as Kate ripped off on of the sleeves of his top, "He said that you and I should head back to camp."

"We're going to do that," she agreed as she tied the piece of fabric tightly just under his knee, "But it's going to take us awhile, the fall took a lot out of me, and you can't walk by yourself."

"Well somebody's bound to come looking for us, I mean they all saw what direction we went off in, and when we're not back on time, they'll know something's up."

"What time is it?" she asked as calmly as she pushed herself up by using trees for support.

"Almost 2:30," he explained as she reached down and helped him to his feet. She was beginning to shake as he was, the whole shock of the situation leaving and the injuries setting in, "You don't look to good."

"Huh?" she asked as he put an arm around her shoulder.

"You're pretty pale, are you sure you're okay?" he asked again beginning to become concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she clarified as they began to hobble out into the densely packed jungle.

* * *

"He's going to hate me," Claire whispered as Charlie swiftly led her towards Jack's tent. His arms were firmly wrapped around her shoulders to give her comfort and support.

"He's not going to hate you," Charlie announced, "He might be a little disappointed at first, but it'll wear off."

"Then Kate's going to hate me," she stated near tears.

"Love, it's not going to be that bad," he replied optimistically.

"Charlie, Kate's going to come back, and find that the only thing I have left of her daughter is this tote bag," she announced holding up the yellow bag for emphasis, "I lost her daughter."

"Well…" Charlie stumbled to think up an excuse and make her feel better.

"See, sure their understanding people, but some things are just over the top," she added.

"Well the first step is to talk to Jack," he explained as they neared his tent.

"Jack?" Claire called, her voice was shaky.

"Yeah?" Jack asked from within the tent, the flaps were swaying in the wind, but a view inside was still obscured.

"We need to talk to you," Charlie spoke up, "It's very important."

"Okay, then come on in," he proclaimed.

Charlie and Claire let out a large sigh almost at the same time, then pulled the blue trap back and entered the tent.

Sitting on the ground was Jack, and directly in front of him was Nike, giggling and playing with a stack of water bottles.

He looked to them and smiled, "What's so important?"

"We thought we lost her!" Charlie exclaimed as he reached and picked her up happily, "Am I ever happy to see you, yes, Charlie's happy to see you!" Nike giggled and he placed her back on the ground.

"She crawled over to me when I was putting the empty water bottles in my backpack so I could bring them back here, I figured you wouldn't mind if I took her, you were pretty involved in a conversation," Jack explained.

"Well, it's time for her bottle," Claire enlightened as she rummaged through the bag and came out with the bottle she'd had before, "Kate told me to feed her at two is she wasn't back yet."

Jack lifted Nike into his arms and Claire handed him the bottle, he looked up as Nike began to drink down the contents, "Kate's not back yet?"

"No, none of them are," Charlie divulged, "And to be honest everyone's starting to get a little edgy."

Jack sighed, "Kate said they'd be back at two for sure, she promised to see me as soon as they came back. Something's not right."

"So what's going to happen?" Claire asked as Charlie helped Jack stand up.

"I'm going to ask Sayid to go out and help me look for them," He disclosed as Nike finished her bottle, "Just keep watching her, and be ready to feed her at six if we're not back yet."

Charlie and Claire nodded and watched Jack quickly gather his stuff and rush out of the tent.

"He's really head over heels for her, isn't he?" Claire asked.

* * *

"We're only about twenty-five minutes from camp," Michael announced as they hobbled past a tree with a blue piece of fabric tied to it, "I used blue for every twenty-five minutes," he stated trying to get Kate to laugh, but she just kept huffing.

She was tired and weak. She just wanted to sit down and go to sleep for a century, "Michael," she barely huffed out, "I think I need to sit down for a few minutes," she declared when they had come across a suitable spot.

"Yeah, sure," Michael agreed, "I'm getting pretty tired myself," he added, Kate knew it was to make sure she didn't feel completely useless.

"Thanks," she stated gratefully as they both sat back and rested against the tree.

Michael sighed as he relaxed against the tree, a little break now and then wouldn't hurt anyone, but he couldn't get over the fact that Locke had juts left them. Birds chirped over head and the flock flew in synchronized dances across the beautiful blue sky, there wasn't a single cloud scarring it.

Dots of pink, purple and blue could be seen in the distance against the dark green of the shrubbery, so many wild flowers grew in this jungle, almost all of them Michael had never even seen in a book before.

He took a glance at his watch and realized that they probably rested for too long, and now the camp was surely worried about them, "Hey Kate, we should get going," he suggested to her, but she looked as if she was sleeping.

"Kate?" he questioned as he reached up and shook her shoulder gently, she didn't move or groan.

"Kate!" he asked more seriously as he reached for her wrist and barely found a plus, "Oh man!"

* * *

"Are you sure this is the way they went?" Jack asked as he and Sayid hiked up a medium sized mound in the earth. 

"Yes, I was out placing a transmitter in the tree to hopefully narrow down the area that the French woman's signal is coming from, they marched past the tree I was in, Kate threw me a wave.

The came to a sort of crosswalk in the trees with more then four paths to choose from, the interesting thing was each had more then three distinct sets of foot prints running down it.

"Do you know of anyone who has come out this far?" Sayid questioned.

Jack sighed, "No." It seemed useless, with this many routes it would take several days to venture down each one.

"Help!" a screamed suddenly echoed from the distance. Birds rested on tree branches stirred with the sudden noise.

"Did you hear that?" Jack asked. Sayid place a finger to his mouth to gesture to be quiet momentarily. Jack nodded and everything once again fell silent, until the shout broke through the forest again.

"That way," Sayid pointed to the fourth trail. Immediately the two men took off down it, run for a few minutes until they found Michael and Kate sitting against a tree.

"Man am I glad to see you guys," he breathed a sigh of relief.

"What happened?" Sayid asked as he bent down before Michael and check his leg, "Where's Locke?"

"A boar attacked us and he ditched us to go off and hunt it," he explained as Jack bent down before Kate, "She's got a weak pulse, I don't know what happened to her. Locke pushed her out of the way of the boar, and she was knocked out for a good fifteen minutes. Then we stopped for a break about ten minutes ago, and she just passed out."

"Locke left you?" Sayid asked angrily, he could see the obvious injuries that both had received and wondered how anyone could leave them in the middle of the jungle.

"Kate," Jack whispered as he put a hand to her cheek, her face was ashen and like ice to touch, the slight smudge of blood across her cheek gave her face a horrible macabre appearance, "Kate you have to wake up okay?" he questioned.

* * *

_"Wake up Sweet Pea!" Anthony yelled as he barged through the door almost knocking it clear off the hinges. He irritably flipped on the lights and marched towards her bed, "We got a club to be at."_

_"Anthony, I don't feel good," she wheezed, "I have a stuffy nose and I can barely breathe or talk," she expressed weakly. _

_He reached over, clamping one of his strong hands over her forearms and pulled her into a sitting position, "I don't care if you have leprosy," he growled furiously in her face, "I want you dressed and in the car in fifteen, and you'd better be punctual Katie, because colds may only last a week, but broken bones last a lot longer," he replied as he pushed her back down to the bed and slammed the door as he left. _

_Kate knew she wasn't going to be done in fifteen minutes, a lump rose to her throat and tears stung at her eyes. As she lifted herself back up from the bed and stumbled over the cold wooden floor under her feet, she silently wondered what would be broken this time. _

* * *

"No," She screamed as she shot up from lying on her back. Her heart thumped and her head dizzied as she tried to pin point where she was exactly.

She looked to her left and saw a pile of medication and realized she must've been in Jack's medical tent. As soon as she found out the flap almost burst open as Jack stumbled in holding Nike.

"At least you're awake," he sighed as he placed the sleeping baby down on the blanket beside Kate.

"Is she okay?" Kate questioned, tears pricking her eyes, that dream was too realistic for Kate's liking.

"She's fine Kate," Jack stated as he sat down next to her and placed a hand on her forehead checking her temperature, "You're the one I'm worried about," she looked at him questioningly so he continued, "You collapse in the wood after a boar attack and then you sleep for almost twelve hours."

"What time is it?" Kate asked groggily as she moved a hand over her eyes, she had a booming headache.

"It's almost three in the morning, I just went out to check the fire," he elaborated, "And don't worry, I've been feeding Nike every four hours, and she's perfectly fine, but I want you to take it easy, absolutely no leaving the camp in the next two days for anything at all, only bathroom breaks."

"Fine," She replied with a sulky look to her face.

"By the way, who's Anthony?" Jack questioned as he handed Kate a couple aspirin and a bottle of water.

"What? Why?" she asked quickly, her eyes flashing.

"You were saying his name out loud for the past few minutes," he replied as she took the pills and swallowed them.

"Let's save that for a rainy day," Kate replied casually as she lay back and pulled the blanket more tightly around her.

"Alright," Jack agreed as Kate began to slowly drift into sleep.

He quietly tidied a few minor things up before moving outside and permanently putting out the fire. He gathered the blanket he was to cover Nike and then he moved inside to the opposite corner of his tent.

He had barely closed his eyes when he heard Kate's voice speak to him from the grogginess of a half-conscious mind, "Jack?" she called, her speech sounding slurred.

"Yeah?" he called back gently, a smile almost gracing his face because of the humor of the situation.

"Are we friends?" It would be a serious question if asked any other time, but when the word 'friends' comes out almost sounding like 'frayed ends' it's hard to be taken with sincerity.

"Yeah," he replied back trying to muffle his small chuckles as he turned over to face the flaps of the tent.

"Oh," she responded, sounding dismayed in his answer, "You sure?"

"Yeah," he answered "Why?" He questioned, then he realized that maybe he was an even bigger fool for continuing a conversation with Kate when she was high on exhaustion.

"Then why do I feel like kissing you sometimes?" She posed in the darkness of the night. Jack himself couldn't think of an answer because he was too dumbfounded at the revelation Kate had just made. And Kate didn't ask again, because she was innocently swept into a sleep.

_

* * *

And there you have it chapter 4 of Just In Case. Thank you for the person who pointed that out to me (Actually 'incase' is a word, but not the one I was looking for)  
Ethan: I believe the one you were looking for is IDIOT!  
Hey….shut up. _

_Alright so here's the deal, I can't answer reviews because I'm supposed to be sleeping and I still haven't finished my English homework  
Ethan: Hey I'm working on it  
So I gotta take a rain check on answering the reviews, I'm sorry if you had a question or something, but juts repeat it to me, and I SWEAR I'll answer it next time.  
PS thanks for all the condolences on Lisa, and now Dave is with her as well (But I didn't much like Dave) so it's all good, and my precious Constantine is still alive so all the better :D_

_**Next Chapter**- Jack goes all crazy loco, and the burning of the bodies begins! Plus will kate listen to Jacks demands. Nope she won't because he's all crazy-loco like out in the jungle and you'll never guess who he comes across………it's not his dad……… I'll give you a hint……… You put it on a door, and then you lock it  
Ethan: I know! Boone!  
Locke: (slaps Ethan upside the head) it's me prickhole  
Ethan: Aye, there be the rub_


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